.A  .X. 


E.  PHILLIPS  OPPf 


If  ?--*  Y  ••! 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


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AND  DORA  HAYNES  FOUNDATION 

COLLECTION 


A 


U 


JACOB'S  LADDER 


I   AM   OBLIGf:D   TO    YOU    ALL   FOR    PUTTING    UP    WITH    MY 
COMPANY  FOR  SO  LONG."      FRONTISPIECE.     See  page  17.    . 


JACOB'S  LADDER 


BY 


E.  PHILLIPS  OPPENHEIM 


WITH  FRONTISPIECE  BT 

F.   VAUX    WILSON 


NoN-iX£^ERT 


^WVA"D  •  03$ 


BOSTON 

LITTLE,   BROWN,  AND   COMPANY 

1921 


Copyright,  1921, 
By  Little,  Bkown,  and  Compant. 


All  rights  reserved 
Published  February,  1921 


THE  COLONIAL  PRESS 
C.   H.  SIMONDS   CO.,  BOSTON,  U.  S.  A. 


Pre 

of/f 


JACOB'S  LADDER 


Schorr  O/Q 


JACOB'S  LADDER 


PROLOGUE 

Seated  at  breakfast  on  that  memorable  July 
morning,  Jacob  Pratt  presented  all  the  appearance 
of  a  disconsolate  man.  His  little  country  sitting- 
room  was  as  neat  and  tidy  as  the  capable  hands  of 
the  inimitable  Mrs.  Harris  could  make  it.  His 
coffee  was  hot  and  his  eggs  were  perfectly  boiled. 
Through  the  open  windows  stretched  a  little  vista  of 
the  many  tows  of  standard  roses  which  had  been  the 
joy  of  his  life.  Yet  blank  misery  dwelt  in  the  soul  of 
this  erstwhile  cheerful  little  man,  and  the  spirit  of 
degradation  hung  like  a  gloomy  pall  over  his 
thoughts  and  being.  Only  the  day  before  ho  had 
filed  his  petition  in  bankruptcy. 

The  usual  morning  programme  was  carried  out, 
only,  alas !  in  different  fashion.  Five  and  twenty 
minutes  before  the  departure  of  the  train,  Mrs. 
Harris  —  but  not  the  Mrs.  Harris  of  customary 
days  —  presented  herself,  bearing  his  hat  and  stick. 

s 


4  JACOB'S  LADDER 

Her  cheerful  smile  had  departed.  There  were  traces 
of  something  very  much  like  tears  in  her  eyes.  She 
carried  a  small  article  in  her  hand,  which  she  spent 
most  of  the  time  trying  to  conceal  behind  her  apron. 

"  You  '11  be  home  at  the  usual  time,  sir?  "  she 
asked. 

"  So  far  as  I  know,  Mrs.  Harris,"  was  the  listless 
reply. 

His  landlady  looked  at  the  practically  undisturbed 
breakfast  table  and  gathered  strength  of  purpose. 

"  Me  and  Harris,  sir,"  she  declared,  "  we  offers  our 
respects  and  we  hopes  nothing  ain't  going  to  be 
changed  here." 

"  You  are  very  good  —  both  of  you,"  Jacob  said, 
with  a  weak  smile.  "  For  the  present  I  don't  think 
that  I  could  live  cheaper  anywhere  else,  nor,  I  am 
sure,  as  comfortably.  I  have  had  quite  a  decent  sit- 
uation offered  me.  The  only  thing  is  I  may  be  away 
a  little  more." 

"  That 's  good  news,  sir,  anjrway,"  the  woman  re- 
plied heartily.  "  I  mean  to  say,"  she  added,  "  it 's 
good  news  about  your  staying  on  here.  And  me  and 
Harris,"  she  went  on,  "  having  no  children,  so  to 
speak,  and  you  having  paid  liberal  and  regular  for 
the  last  four  years,  we  seem  to  have  a  bit  of  money 
we  've  no  use  for,"  she  added,  producing  at  last  that 
bulging  purse,  "  and  we  thought  maybe  you  might 
do  us  the  honour  —  " 

Jacob  took  her  by  the  shoulders  and  shook  her. 


JACOB'S  LADDER  5 

"  For  God's  sake,  don't,  Mrs.  Harris !  "  he  broke 
in.  "  If  I  want  it,  I  '11  come  to  you.  And  —  God 
bless  you !  " 

Whereupon  he  picked  up  his  hat  and  stick,  stepped 
through  the  open  French  window,  cut  a  rose  for  his 
buttonhole  as  usual,  and  started  on  his  purgatorial 
walk,  making  a  tremendous  effort  to  look  as  though 
nothing  had  happened. 

That  walk,  alas!  surpassed  his  worst  imaginings. 
Jacob  Pratt  was  a  sensitive  little  man,  notwithstand- 
ing his  rotund  body,  his  fresh  complexion  and 
humorous  mouth;  and  all  the  way  from  his  modest 
abode  to  the  railway  station,  he  was  a  prey  to  fancies 
wliich  were  in  some  cases,  without  a  doubt,  founded 
upon  fact.  Mr.  Gregson,  the  manager  of  the  In- 
ternational Stores,  at  the  passing  of  his  discredited 
customer  had  certainly  retreated  from  his  position 
on  the  threshold  of  his  shop,  usual  at  that  hour  of  the 
morning,  and  disclosed  a  morbid  but  absorbing  in- 
terest in  a  tub  of  margarine.  The  greengrocer's 
wife  had  looked  at  him  reproachfully  from  behind  a 
heap  of  cooking  apples,  and  her  response  to  his  diffi- 
dent greeting  was  accompanied  by  a  sorrowful  wag 
of  the  head.  The  newspaper  boy  at  the  entrance  to 
the  station  had  extended  his  Express  almost  doubt- 
fully and  had  clutched  with  significant  caution  at 
the  copper  coin  tendered  in  exchange  for  it.  The 
station  master  had  answered  his  "  Good  morning  " 
without  troubling  to  turn  his  head,  and  the  ticket  col- 


6  JACOB'S  LADDER 

lector  had  yawned  as  he  moved  away  from  the  bar- 
rier. Each  one  of  these  incidents,  trifling  though 
they  were  in  themselves,  had  been  like  pinpricks  of 
humiliation  to  the  little  man  whose  geniality  had  been 
almost  a  byword. 

The  worst  trial  of  all,  however,  arrived  when  Jacob 
entered  the  carriage  in  which  he  had  been  accustomed, 
for  six  days  out  of  seven,  to  make  his  journey  to  the 
city.  As  usual,  it  was  occupied  by  two  men,  stran- 
gers to  him  commercially,  but  with  whom  he  had  de- 
veloped a  very  pleasant  acquaintance;  Mr.  Stephen 
Pedlar,  the  well-known  accountant  to  the  trade  in 
which  Jacob  was  interested;  Mr.  Lionel  Groome, 
whose  life  was  spent  in  a  strenuous  endeavour  to 
combine  the  two  avocations  of  man  of  fashion  and 
liquid  glue  manufacturer ;  and  —  Mr.  Edward  Bulti- 
well,  of  Bultiwell  and  Sons,  Bermondsey,  his  former 
condescending  patron  and  occasional  host,  now,  alas ! 
his  largest  creditor.  The  porter,  being  for  the  first 
time  unaccountably  absent,  Jacob  was  compelled  to 
open  the  door  for  himself,  thereby  rendering  his 
nervous  entrance  more  self-conscious  than  ever.  He 
found  himself  confronted  and  encircled  by  a  solid 
wall  of  newspapers,  stumbled  over  an  outstretched 
foot,  relapsed  into  the  vacant  place  and  looked  help- 
lessly around  him.  A  kind  word  just  then  might  not 
have  helped  the  lump  in  Jacob's  throat,  but  it  would 
certainly  have  brought  a  fortune  in  later  hfe  to  any 
one  who  had  uttered  it. 


JACOB'S  LADDER  7 

"  Good  morning,  gentlemen,"  the  newcomer  ven- 
tured. 

There  was  a  muttered  response  from  either  side  of 
him,  —  none  from  the  august  figure  in  the  opposi\:e 
corner.  Jacob  fingered  with  tentative  wistfulness 
the  very  choice  rose  which  he  was  wearing  in  his  but- 
tonhole. Perhaps  he  ought  not  to  have  plucked  and 
worn  it.  Perhaps  it  ought  not  to  have  opened  its 
soft,  sweet  petals  for  an  owner  who  was  dwelling  in 
the  Valley  of  Impecunious  Disgrace.  Perhaps  he 
ought  to  have  ended  there  and  then  the  good-natured 
rivalry  of  years  and  offered  the  cherished  blossom  to 
his  silent  creditor  in  the  corner,  in  place  of  the  very 
inferior  specimen  which  adorned  the  lapel  of  the 
great  man's  coat.  Even  in  that  moment  of  humili- 
ation, Jacob  felt  a  little  thrill  of  triumph  at  the 
thought  of  Mr.  Bultiwell's  three  gardeners.  It  took 
more  than  gardeners  to  grow  such  a  rose  as  he  was 
wearing.  He  liked  to  fancy  that  it  took  personal 
care,  personal  sympathy,  personal  love.  The  sweet- 
est and  rarest  flowers  must  have  their  special  atmos- 
phere. 

Quite  suddenly  Mr.  Edward  Bultiwell  laid  down  his 
Times  and  glared  across  at  Jacob.  He  was  a  lar§-e 
man,  with  an  ugly  red  face,  a  neck  which  hung  over 
his  collar  in  rolls,  and  a  resonant  voice.  Directly  he 
began  to  speak,  Jacob  began  to  shiver. 

"  Pratt,"  he  said,  "  am  I  to  understand  that  the 
greeting  which  jou  offered  to  the  occupants  of  this 


8  JACOB'S   LADDER 

carriage,  when  you  entered,  was  intended  to  includi 
me?  " 

"I  —  I  certainly  meant  it  to,"  was  the  tremulou 
reply. 

"  Then  let  me  beg  that  such  a  liberty  be  not  re 
peated,"  Mr.  Bultiwell  continued  brutally.  "  I  lool 
upon  a  man  who  has  compounded  with  his  creditor; 
as  a  person  temporarily,  at  any  rate,  outside  th( 
pale  of  converse  with  his  fellows  on  —  er  —  equa 
terms.  I  look  upon  your  presence  in  a  first-clasi 
carriage,  wearing  a  floral  adornment,"  Mr.  Bultiwel 
added,  with  a  jealous  glance  at  the  very  beautifu 
rose,  "  which  is,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  conspicuous,  ai 
—  er  —  an  impertinence  to  those  who  have  had  th( 
misfortune  to  suffer  from  your  insolvency." 

The  healthy  colour  faded  from  Jacob's  cheeks 
He  had  the  air  of  one  stricken  by  a  lash  —  dazed  foi 
the  moment  and  bewildered. 

"  My  rose  cost  me  notliing,"  he  faltered,  "  and  mj 
season  ticket  does  n't  expire  till  next  month.  1 
must  go  up  to  the  City.  My  help  is  needed  —  witl 
the  books." 

Mr.  Bultiwell  shook  his  paper  preparatory  to  dis 
appearing  behind  it. 

"  Your  presence  here  may  be  considered  a  mattei 
of  taste,"  he  fired  off,  as  a  parting  shot.  "  I  call  i1 
damned  bad  taste !  " 

Mr.  Jacob  Pratt  sat  like  a  hurt  thing  till  the  trair 
stopped  at  the  next  station.     Then  he  stumbled  ou1 


JACOB'S   LADDER  9 

on  to  the  platform,  and,  making  his  way  through  an 
unaccountable  mist,  he  climbed  somehow  or  other  into 
a  third-class  carriage.  Richard  Dauncey,  the  mel- 
ancholy man  who  lived  in  the  cottage  opposite  to  his, 
looked  up  at  the  newcomer's  entrance,  and,  for  the 
first  time  within  his  recollection,  Jacob  saw  him  smile. 

"  Good  morning,  Mr.  Pratt,"  the  former  said,  with 
a  strenuous  attempt  at  cordiality.  "  If  you  '11  ex- 
cuse my  saying  so,  that 's  the  finest  rose  I  've  ever 
seen  in  my  life." 

Richard  Dauncey  made  his  fortune  by  that  speech 
—  and  Jacob  had  to  swallow  very  hard  and  look  very 
fixedly  out  of  the  window. 


CHAPTER    I 

Precisely  two  years  later,  Jacob  Pratt  sat  once 
more  in  his  cottage  sitting  room,  contemplating  the 
remains  of  a  barely  tasted  breakfast.  Before  him, 
read  for  the  fiftieth  time,  were  the  wonderful  letters, 
in  his  brain  a  most  amazing  confusion,  in  his  heart 
an  almost  hysterical  joy.  Presently  Mrs.  Harris 
brought  in  his  hat  and  stick. 

"  You  '11  excuse  my  mentioning  it,  sir,"  she  said, 
looking  at  the  former  a  little  disparagingly,  *'  but, 
brush  though  I  may,  there  's  no  doing  much  with  this 
hat  of  yours.  The  nap  's  fair  gone.  Maybe  you 
have  n't  noticed  it,  sir,  but,  with  the  summer  coming 
on,  a  straw  hat  —  " 

"  I  '11  buy  a  straw  hat  to-day,  Mrs.  Harris,"  Jacob 
promised. 

"  And  you  '11  be  home  at  the  usual  time  for  your 
supper,  sir?  " 

"I  —  I  expect  so.  I  am  not  quite  sure,  Mrs.  Har- 
ris. I  shall  be  home  sometime  during  the  day,  all 
right." 

Mrs.  Harris  shook  her  head  at  the  sight  of  the  un- 
tasted  egg. 


JACOB'S  LADDER  11 

"  You  '11  excuse  my  saying  so,  sir,"  she  pronounced 
severely,  "  but  there  's  no  good  work  done  on  an 
empty  stomach.  Times  is  hard,  as  we  all  know,  but 
eggs  is  cheap." 

"  Mrs.  Harris,"  Jacob  reminded  her,  "  it  is  two 
years  since  I  left  one  of  your  eggs.  I  left  it  then  be- 
cause I  was  miserable.  I  am  leaving  it  this  morning 
because  —  I  have  had  good  news.  I  can't  eat. 
Later  on  —  later  on,  Mrs.  Harris." 

"  And  a  bit  of  good  news  is  what  you  deserv^e,  sir," 
the  latter  declared,  lingering  while  he  cut  his  accus- 
tomed rose  with  fingers  which  trembled  strangely. 

"  Thank  you  very  much,  Mrs.  Harris,"  he  said. 
"  When  I  come  back  tonight,  I  '11  tell  you  all  about 
it." 

Once  more,  then,  two  years  almost  to  a  day  after 
Mr.  Edward  Bultiwell,  of  the  great  firm  of  Bultiwell 
and  Sons,  had  laid  down  his  newspaper  and  spoken 
his  mind,  Jacob  was  on  his  way  to  the  station,  again 
wearing  a  choice  rose  in  his  buttonhole.  He  had 
found  no  occasion  to  change  his  lodgings,  for  he  had 
been  an  economical  man  who  took  great  care  of  his 
possessions  even  in  the  days  of  his  prosperity,  and  his 
moderate  salary  as  traveller  for  a  Bermondsey  firm 
of  merchants  brought  him  in  quite  enough  for  his 
simple  needs.  He  had  to  some  extent  lived  down  his 
disgrace.  The  manager  of  the  International  Stores 
nodded  to  him  now,  a  trifle  condescendingly,  yet  with 
tacit  acknowledgement  of  the  fact  that  in  domestic 


12  JACOB'S   LADDER 

affairs  Jacob  was  a  man  of  principle  who  always  paid 
his  way.  The  greengrocer's  wife  passed  the  time  of 
day  when  not  too  preoccupied,  and  the  newspaper 
boy  no  longer  clutched  for  his  penny.  Jacob  gener- 
ally met  the  melancholy  man  at  the  corner  of  the 
avenue  and  walked  to  the  station  with  him.  And  he 
still  grew  roses  and  worshipped  them. 

On  the  way  to  the  station,  on  this  particular  morn- 
ing, he  amazed  his  friend. 

"  Richard,"  he  said,  "  I  shall  not  travel  to  the  City 
with  you  to-day.  At  least  I  shall  not  start  with  you. 
I  shall  change  carriages  at  Wendley,  as  I  did  once 
before." 

"  The  devil !  "  Richard  exclaimed. 
They  were  passing  the  plate-glass  window  of  a 
new  emporium,  and  Jacob  paused  to  glance  furtively 
at  his  reflection.  He  was  an  exceedingly  neat  man, 
and  his  care  for  his  clothes  and  person  had  survived 
two  years  of  impecuniosity.  Nevertheless,  although 
he  passed  muster  well  enough  to  the  casual  observer, 
there  were  indications  in  his  attire  of  the  inevitable 
conflict  between  a  desire  for  adornment  and  the  lack 
of  means  to  indulge  it.  His  too  often  pressed  trous- 
ers were  thin  at  the  seams ;  his  linen,  though  clean, 
was  frayed ;  there  were  cracks  in  his  vigorously  pol- 
ished shoes.  He  looked  at  himself,  and  he  was  sud- 
denly conscious  of  a  most  amazing  thrill.  One  of  the 
cherished  desires  of  his  life  loomed  up  before  him. 
Even  Savile  Row  was  not  an  impossibility. 


JACOB'S   LADDER  13 

At  the  station  he  puzzled  the  booking  clerk  by 
presenting  himself  at  the  window  and  demanding  a 
first  single  to  Liverpool  Street. 

The  youth  handed  him  the  piece  of  pasteboard  with 
a  wondering  glance. 

"  Your  season  ain't  up  yet,  Mr.  Pratt." 

"  It  is  not,"  Jacob  acquiesced,  "  but  this  morning 
I  desire  to  travel  to  town  first-class." 

Whilst  he  waited  for  the  train,  Jacob  read  again 
the  wonderful  letters,  folded  them  up,  and  was  ready, 
with  an  air  of  anticipation,  when  the  little  train  with 
its  reversed  engine  came  puffing  around  the  curve  and 
brought  its  few  antiquated  and  smoke-encrusted 
carriages  to  a  standstill.  Everything  went  as  he 
had  hoped.  In  that  familiar  first-class  carriage, 
into  which  he  stepped  with  beating  heart,  sat  Mr. 
Bultiwell  in  the  farthest  corner,  with  his  two  satel- 
lites, Stephen  Pedlar,  the  accountant,  and  Lionel 
Groome.  They  all  stared  at  him  in  blank  bewilder- 
ment as  he  entered.  Mr.  Bultiwell,  emerging  from  be- 
hind the  Times,  sat  with  his  mouth  open  and  a  black 
frown  upon  his  forehead. 

"  Good  morning,  all,"  Jacob  remarked  affably,  as 
he  sprawled  in  his  place  and  put  his  legs  up  on  the 
opposite  seat. 

He  might  have  dropped  a  bombshell  amongst  them 
with  less  effect.  Every  newspaper  was  lowered,  and 
every  one  stared  at  this  bold  intruder.  Then  they 
turned  to  Mr.  Bultiwell.     It  seemed  fittest  that  he 


14  JACOB'S   LADDER 

should  deal  with  the  matter.  Unfortunately,  he,  too, 
seemed  temporarily  bereft  of  words. 

"  I  seem  to  have  startled  you  all  a  bit,  what?  "  Ja- 
cob continued,  with  the  air  of  one  thoroughly  enjoy- 
ing the  sensation  he  had  produced.  *'  I  've  got  my  ticket 
all  right.  Here  j'ou  are,"  he  went  on,  producing  it, 
— "  first-class  to  Liverpool  Street.  Thought  I  'd 
like  to  have  a  look  at  you  all  once  more.  Sorry  to 
see  you  're  not  looking  quite  your  old  self,  Mr.  Bulti- 
well.  Nasty  things,  these  bad  debts,  eh?  Three  last 
week,  I  noticed.  You  '11  have  to  be  careful  down 
Bristol  way.     Things  there  are  pretty  dicky." 

"  It  would  be  more  becoming  on  your  part,  sir," 
Mr.  Bultiwell  pronounced  furiously,  "  if  you  were  to 
hold  your  tongue  about  bad  debts." 

Jacob  snapped  his  fingers. 

"  I  don't  owe  any  man  a  farthing,"  he  declared. 

"  An  undischarged  bankrupt  —  " 

"  Sold  again,"  Jacob  interrupted  amiably.  "  Got 
my  discharge  last  week." 

Mr.  Bultiwell  found  his  tongue  at  the  same  time 
that  he  lost  his  temper. 

"  So  that 's  the  reason  you  're  butting  in  here 
amongst  gentlemen  whom  you  've  lost  the  right  to 
associate  with !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  You  think  because 
you  're  whitewashed  by  the  courts  you  can  count 
yourself  an  honest  man  again,  eh?  You  think  that 
because  —  " 

"  Wrong  —  all    wrong,"   Jacob  interrupted   once 


JACOB'S   LADDER  15 

more,  with  ever-increasing  geniality.  "  You  '11  have 
to  guess  again." 

Mr.  Groome  —  the  very  superior  Mr.  Groome,  who 
had  married  a  relative  of  Mr.  Bultiwell's,  and  who  oc- 
casionally wore  an  eyeglass  and  was  seen  in  the  West 
End  —  intervened  with  gentle  sarcasm. 

"  Mr.  Pratt  has  perhaps  come  to  tell  us  that  it  is 
his  intention  to  celebrate  the  granting  of  his  dis- 
charge by  paying  his  debts  in  full." 

Jacob  glanced  at  the  speaker  with  the  air  of  one 
moved  to  admiration. 

"  Mr.  Groome,  sir,"  he  pronounced,  "  you  are  a 
wizard !  You  must  have  seen  right  through  into  the 
breast  pocket  of  my  coat.  Allow  me  to  read  you  a 
couple  of  letters." 

He  produced  these  amazing  documents,  leisurely 
unfolding  the  first.  There  was  no  question  of  news- 
papers now. 

"  You  will  remember,"  he  said,  "  that  I  came  to 
grief  because  I  stood  bondsman  to  my  brother,  who 
was  out  prospecting  for  oil  lands  in  America.  '  Dis- 
graceful speculation  '  Mr.  Bultiwell  called  it,  I  think. 
Well,  this  letter  is  from  Sam : 

Ritz-Carlton  Hotel, 
New  York. 

My  dear  Jacob, 

I  cabled  you  this  morning  to  prepare  for  good 
news,  so  don't  get  heart  failure  when  you  receive  this 
letter.     We  've  struck  it  rich,  as  I  always  told  you 


16  JACOB'S   LADDER 

we  should.  I  sold  the  worse  half  of  our  holdings  in 
Arizona  for  four  million  dollars  last  week,  and  Lord 
knows  what  we  '11  get  for  the  rest.  I  've  cabled  you 
a  hundred  thousand  pounds,  to  be  going  on  with,  to 
the  Bank  of  England. 

Sorry  you  've  had  such  a  rough  time,  old  chap, 
but  you  're  on  velvet  for  the  rest  of  your  life.  Have 
a  bottle  with  your  best  pal  when  you  get  this,  and 
drink  my  health. 

Cheerio ! 

Sam. 

P.  S.  I  should  say,  roughly  speaking,  that  your 
share  of  the  rest  of  the  land  will  work  out  at  some- 
thing like  five  million  dollars.  I  hope  you  '11  chuck 
your  humdrum  life  now  and  come  out  into  the  world 
of  adventure. 

"  It 's  a  fairy  tale !  "  Mr.  Groome  gasped. 

"  Let  me  see  the  letter,"  the  accountant  implored. 

Mr.  Bultiwell  only  breathed  hard. 

"  The  other  communication,"  Jacob  continued,  un- 
folding a  stiff  sheet  of  paper,  "  is  from  the  Bank  of 
England,  and  it  is  what  you  might  call  short  and 
sweet : 

Dear  Sir, 

We  beg  to  inform  you  that  we  have  to-day  re- 
ceived a  credit  on  your  behalf,  from  our  New  York 
branch,  amounting  to  one  hundred  thousand  pounds 
sterling,  which  sum  we  hold  at  your  disposal. 

Faithfully  yours, 
BANK    OF    ENGLAND. 

p.  p.  J.  Woodridge  Smith. 


it 


JACOB'S   LADDER  17 

One  hundred  thousand  pounds !  God  bless  my 
soul !  "  Mr.  Bultiwell  gasped. 

*'  I  shall  be  at  your  office,  Mr.  Pedlar,"  Jacob  an- 
nounced, folding  up  the  letters,  "  at  eleven  o'clock." 

"  It  is  your  intention,  I  presume,"  the  accountant 
enquired,  "  to  pay  your  debts  in  fuU?  " 

"  Certainly,"  Jacob  repHed.  "  I  thought  I  had 
made  that  clear." 

"  A  very  laudable  proceeding,"  Mr.  Pedlar  mur- 
mured approvingly. 

The  train  was  beginning  to  slacken  speed.  Jacob 
rose  to  his  feet. 

"  I  am  changing  carriages  here,"  he  remarked. 
*'  I  am  obliged  to  you  all  for  putting  up  with  my 
company  for  so  long." 

Mr.  Bultiwell  cleared  his  throat.  There  was  no- 
ticeable in  his  tone  some  return  of  his  former  pom- 
posity. 

"  Under  the  present  circumstances,  Mr.  Pratt,"  he 
said,  *'  I  see  no  reason  why  you  should  leave  us,  I 
should  like  to  hear  more  about  your  wonderful  good 
fortune  and  to  discuss  with  you  your  plans  for  the 
future.  If  you  are  occupied  now,  perhaps  this 
evening  at  home.     My  roses  are  worth  looking  at." 

Jacob  smiled  in  a  peculiar  fashion. 

*'  I  have  a  friend  waiting  for  me  in  the  third-class 
portion  of  the  train,"  he  replied.  "  Until  eleven 
o'clock,  Mr.  Pedlar." 


CHAPTER    II 

The  melancholy  man  was  seated  in  his  favourite 
corner,  gazing  out  at  the  landscape.  He  scarcely 
looked  up  as  Jacob  entered.  It  chanced  that  they 
were  alone. 

"  Richard  Dauncey,"  Jacob  said  impressively,  as 
soon  as  the  train  had  started  again,  "you  once  sat 
in  that  corner  and  smiled  at  me  when  I  got  in.  I 
think  you  also  wished  me  good  morning  and  admired 
my  rose." 

"  It  was  two  years  ago,"  Dauncey  assented. 

"  Did  you  ever  hear  of  a  man,"  Jacob  went  on, 
"  who  made  his  fortune  with  a  smile?  Of  course  not. 
You  are  probably  the  first.  Look  at  me  steadfastly. 
This  is  to  be  a  heart-to-heart  talk.  Why  do  you  go 
about  looking  as  though  you  were  the  most  miserable 
creature  on  God's  earth?  " 

Richard  Dauncey  sighed. 

"  You  need  n't  rub  it  in.  My  appearance  is 
against  me  in  business  and  in  every  way.  I  can't 
help  it.     I  have  troubles." 

"  They  are  at  an  end,"  Jacob  declared.  "  Don't 
jump  out  of  the  window  or  do  anything  ridiculous, 


JACOB'S  LADDER  19 

my  friend,  but  sit  still  and  listen.  You  have  been 
starving  with  a  wife  and  two  children  on  three  pounds 
a  week.  Your  salary  from  to-day  is  ten  pounds  a 
week,  with  expenses." 

Dauncey  shook  his  head. 

"  You  are  not  well  this  morning,  man." 

Jacob  produced  the  letters  and  handed  them  over 
to  his  friend,  who  read  them  with  many  exclamations 
of  wonder.  When  he  returned  them,  there  was  a  little 
flush  in  his  face. 

"  I  congratulate  you,  Jacob,"  he  said  heartily. 
*'  You  are  one  of  those  men  who  have  the  knack  of 
keeping  a  stiff  upper  lip,  but  I  know  what  you  have 
suffered." 

*'  Congratulate  yourself,  too,  old  chap,"  Jacob  en- 
joined, holding  out  his  hand.  "  Exactly  what  I  am 
going  to  do  in  the  future  I  have  n't  quite  made  up 
my  mind,  but  this  I  do  know  —  we  start  a  fresh  life 
from  lunch-time  to-day,  you  and  I.  You  can  call 
yourself  my  secretary,  for  want  of  a  better  descrip- 
tion, until  we  settle  down.  Your  screw  will  be  ten 
pounds  a  week,  and  if  you  refuse  the  hundred  pounds 
I  am  going  to  offer  you  at  our  luncheon  table  at 
Simpson's  to-day,  I  shall  knock  you  down." 

Dauncey  apologised  shamefacedly,  a  few  minutes 
later,  for  a  brief  period  of  rare  weakness. 

"  It 's  the  wife,  old  chap,"  he  explained,  as  they 
drew  near  the  terminus.  "  You  see,  I  married  a  little 
above  my  station,  but  there  was  never  any  money, 


20  JACOB'S  LADDER 

and  the  two  kids  came  and  there  did  n't  seem  enough 
to  clothe  them  properly,  or  feed  them  properly,  or 
put  even  a  trifle  by  in  case  anything  should  happen  to 
me.  Life  's  been  pretty  hard,  Jacob,  and  I  can't 
make  friends.  Or  rather  I  never  have  been  able  to 
until  you  came  along." 

They  shook  hands  once  more,  a  queer  but  very 
human  proceeding  in  those  overwrought  moments. 

"  Just  you  walk  to  the  office  this  morning,"  Jacob 
said,  "  with  your  head  in  the  air,  and  keep  on  telling 
yourself  there  's  no  mistake  about  it.  You  're  going 
home  to-night  with  a  hundred  pounds  in  bank  notes  in 
your  pocket,  with  a  bottle  of  wine  under  one  arm,  and 
a  brown  paper  parcel  as  big  as  you  can  carry  under 
the  other.  You  're  out  of  the  wood,  young  fellow, 
and  you  be  thankfiil  for  the  rest  of  your  life  that  you 
found  the  way  to  smile  one  morning.  So  long  till  one 
o'clock  at  Simpson's,"  he  added,  as  they  stepped  out 
on  to  the  platform.     "  Hi,  taxi !  " 

Mr.  Bultiwell  came  hurrying  along,  with  a  good 
deal  less  than  his  usual  dignity.  He  was  not  one  of 
those  men  who  were  intended  by  nature  to  proceed  at 
any  other  than  a  leisurely  pace. 

"  Pratt,"  he  called  out,  "  wait  a  minute.  We  '11 
share  that  taxi,  eh?  " 

Jacob  glanced  over  his  shoulder. 

"  Sorry,"  he  answered,  "  I  'm  not  going  your  way. 


)> 


Soon  after  the  opening  of  that  august  establish- 


JACOB'S   LADDER  21 

ment,  Jacob,  not  without  some  trepidation,  visited 
the  Bank  of  England.  At  half-past  ten,  he  strolled 
into  the  warehouse  of  Messrs.  Smith  and  Joyce, 
leather  merchants,  Bermondsey  Street,  the  firm  for 
which  he  had  been  working  during  the  last  two  years. 
Mr.  Smith  frowned  at  him  from  behind  a  stack  of 
leather. 

"  You  're  late  this  morning,  Pratt,"  he  growled. 
*'  I  thought  perhaps  you  had  gone  over  to  see  that 
man  at  Tottenliam." 

"  The  man  at  Tottenham,"  Jacob  remarked 
equably,  *'  can  go  to  hell." 

Mr.  Smith  was  a  short,  thin  man  with  a  cynical  ex- 
pression, a  bloodless  face  and  a  loveless  heart.  He 
opened  his  mouth  a  little,  a  habit  of  his  when  sur- 
prised. 

"  I  suppose  it  is  too  early  in  the  morning  to  sug- 
gest that  you  have  been  drinking,"  he  said. 

"  You  are  right,"  Jacob  acknowledged.  "  A  little 
later  in  the  day  I  shall  be  able  to  satisfy  everybody  in 
that  respect." 

Mr.  Smith  came  out  from  behind  the  stack  of 
leather.  He  was  wearing  a  linen  smock  over  his 
clothes  and  paper  protectors  over  his  cuffs. 

"  I  don't  think  you  're  quite  yourself  this  morning, 
Pratt,"  he  observed  acidly. 

"  I  am  not,"  Jacob  answered.     "  I  have  had  good 


news." 


Mr.  Smith  was  a  farsceing  man,  with  a  brain  which 


22  JACOB'S   LADDER 

worked  quickly.  He  remembered  in  a  moment  the 
cause  of  Jacob's  failure.  Oil  might  be  found  at  any 
time! 

*'  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  it,  Pratt,"  he  said. 
"  Would  you  like  to  come  into  the  office  and  have  a 
little  chat?  " 

Jacob  looked  his  employer  squarely  in  the  face. 

"  Never  so  long  as  I  hve,"  he  replied.  "  Just  the 
few  words  I  want  to  say  to  you,  Mr.  Smith,  can  be 
said  here.  You  gave  me  a  job  when  I  was  down  and 
out.  You  gave  it  to  me  not  out  of  pity  but  because 
you  knew  I  was  a  damned  good  traveller.  I  've  trudged 
the  streets  for  you,  ridden  in  tramcars,  'buses  and 
tubes,  sold  your  leather  honestly  and  carefully  for 
two  years.  I  've  doubled  your  turnover;  I  've  intro- 
duced you  to  the  soundest  connection  you  ever  had 
on  your  books.  Each  Christmas  a  clerk  in  the  count- 
ing house  has  handed  me  an  extra  sovereign  —  to 
buy  sweets  with,  I  suppose !  You  've  never  raised  my 
salary,  you  've  never  uttered  a  word  of  thanks.  I  've 
brought  you  in  three  of  the  biggest  contracts  you 
ever  had  in  your  life,  and  you  accepted  them  with 
grudging  satisfaction,  pretended  they  did  n't  pay 
you,  forgot  that  I  knew  what  you  gave  for  everv  ton 
of  your  leather  that  passed  through  my  hands. 
You  've  been  a  cold,  calculating  and  selfish  employer. 
You  '11  never  be  a  rich  man  because  you  have  n't  the 
imagination,  and  you  '11  never  be  a  poor  one  because 
you  're  too  stingy.     And  now  you  can  go  on  with 


JACOB'S   LADDER  23 

your  rotten  little  business  and  find  another  traveller, 
for  I  've  finished  with  you." 

"  You  can't  leave  without  a  week's  notice,"  Mr. 
Smith  snapped. 

"  Sue  me,  then,"  Jacob  retorted,  as  he  turned 
away.  "  Put  me  in  the  County  Court.  I  shall  have 
the  best  part  of  a  million  to  pay  the  damage  with. 
Good  morning  to  you,  Mr.  Smith,  and  I  thank  Provi- 
dence that  never  again  in  this  life  have  I  got  to  cross 
the  threshold  of  your  warehouse !  " 

Jacob  passed  out  into  the  street,  whistling  lightly. 
He  was  beginning  to  feel  himself. 

Half  an  hour  later,  seated  in  the  most  comfortable 
easy  chair  of  Mr.  Pedlar's  private  office,  a  sanctum 
into  which  he  had  never  before  been  asked  to  pene- 
trate, Jacob  discussed  the  flavour  of  a  fine  Havana 
cigar  and  issued  his  instructions  for  the  payment  of 
his  debts  in  full.  Mr.  Stephen  Pedlar,  a  suave, 
shrewd  man  of  much  versatility,  congratulated  him- 
self that  he  had,  at  all  times  during  his  connection 
with  Jacob,  treated  this  erstwhile  insignificant  de- 
faulter with  the  courtesy  which  at  least  had  cost  him 
nothing. 

"  Most  interesting  position,  yours,  Pratt,"  the  man 
of  figures  declared,  loitering  a  little  over  the  final  de- 
tails. "  I  should  like  to  talk  it  over  with  you  some- 
time. What  about  a  little  lunch  up  in  the  West  End 
to-day?" 

Jacob  shook  his  head. 


24  JACOB'S   LADDER 

"  I  am  lunching  with  a  friend,"  he  said.  "  Thank 
you  very  much,  all  the  same." 

"  Some  other  time,  then,"  Mr.  Pedlar  continued. 
"  Have  you  made  any  plans  at  all  for  the  future?  " 

"  None  as  yet  worth  speaking  of." 

"  You  are  a  young  man,"  the  accountant  contin- 
ued. "  You  must  have  occupation.  If  the  advice  of 
a  man  of  the  world  is  worth  having,  count  me  at  your 
disposal." 

"  I  am  very  much  obliged,"  Jacob  acknowledged. 

"  I  can  be  considered  wholly  impartial,"  Mr.  Ped- 
lar went  on,  "  because  I  have  no  direct  interest  in 
whatever  you  may  choose  to  do  with  your  money,  but 
my  advice  to  you,  Mr.  Pratt,  would  be  to  buy  a 
partnership  in  one  of  the  leading  firms  engaged  in  the 
industry  with  which  you  have  been  associated." 

"  I  see,"  Jacob  reflected.  "  Go  into  business  again 
on  a  larger  scale?  " 

"  Exactly,"  the  accountant  assented, "  only,  go  into 
an  established  business,  with  a  partner,  where  you  are 
not  too  much  tied  down.  You  '11  want  to  enjoy  your- 
self and  see  a  little  of  the  world  now.  A  bungalow 
down  the  river  for  the  summer,  eh?  A  Rolls-Royce, 
of  course,  and  a  month  or  so  on  the  Riviera  in  the 
winter.  Plenty  of  ways  of  getting  something  out  of 
life,  Mr.  Pratt,  if  only  one  has  the  means." 

Jacob  drew  a  deep  sigh  and  murmured  something 
noncommittal. 

"  My  advice  to  you,"  his  mentor  continued,  "  would 


JACOB'S  LADDER  25 

be  to  enjoy  yourself,  get  value  for  your  money,  but 

—  don't  give  up  work  altogether.  With  the  capital 
at  your  command,  you  could  secure  an  interest  in  one 
of  the  leading  firms  in  the  trade." 

"Were  you  thinking  of  any  one  in  particular.?  '* 
Jacob  asked  quietly. 

Mr.  Pedlar  hesitated. 

"  To  tell  you  the  truth,  Mr.  Pratt,"  he  admitted 
candidly,  "  I  was.  I  know  of  a  firm  at  the  present 
moment,  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  respected  in  the 
trade  —  I  might  almost  say  the  most  prominent  firm 

—  who  would  be  disposed  to  admit  into  partnership 
a  person  of  your  standing  and  capital." 

"  You  don't,  by  any  chance,  mean  Bultiwell's .?  " 

The  accountant's  manner  became  more  earnest. 
He  had  the  air  of  one  who  releases  a  great  secret. 

"  Don't  mention  it,  Pratt,  whatever  you  do,"  he 
begged.  "  Mr.  Bultiwell  would  probably  be  besieged 
by  applications  from  people  who  would  be  quite  use- 
less to  him." 

"  I  shall  not  tell  a  soul,"  Jacob  promised. 

"  You  see,"  his  companion  went  on,  watching  the 
ash  of  his  cigar  for  a  moment,  "  the  Mortimers  and 
the  Craigs  have  both  come  to  an  end  so  far  as  re- 
gards participation  in  the  business.  Colonel  Craig 
was  killed  playing  polo  in  India,  and  had  no  sons,  and 
old  Mortimer,  too,  had  only  one  son,  who  went  into 
the  diplomatic  service.  That  leaves  Mr.  Bultiwell 
the  sole  representative  of  the  firm,  and  though  he 


26  JACOB'S  LADDER 

has,  as  you  know,  a  great  dislike  for  new  associa- 
tions, it  is  certainly  too  much  responsibility  for  one 


man." 


"  The  Mortimer  and  Craig  interests  have  had  to  be 
paid  out,  I  suppose?  "  Jacob  enquired. 

"  To  a  certain  extent,  yes,"  Mr.  Pedlar  admitted. 
"  That   is   where   the   opportunity   for   new   capital 


comes  in." 


I  have  made  no  plans  yet,"  Jacob  declared,  ris- 
ing to  take  his  leave.  "  If  you  like  to  place  the 
figures  before  me  within  the  course  of  the  next  week 
or  so,  and  the  suggested  terms,  I  might  consider  the 
matter  —  that  is,  if  I  decide  to  go  into  business  at 
all." 

"  I  can't  conceive  a  more  comfortable  position  for 
a  young  man  with  your  knowledge  of  the  trade,"  Mr. 
Pedlar  said,  as  he  wished  his  guest  good  morning. 
"  You  shall  have  all  the  figures  placed  before  you. 
Good  morning,  and  once  more  my  heartiest  congratu- 
lations, Mr.  Pratt." 


CHAPTER    III 

At  twelve  o'clock,  Jacob  was  in  Regent  Street,  and 
at  one  o'clock,  in  a  new  blue  serge  suit,  shirt,  collar 
and  tie  of  the  latest  pattern,  he  was  dividing  his  time 
between  admiring  his  reflection  in  the  mirror  and 
waiting  in  the  entrance  hall  of  Simpson's.  Daun- 
cey's  coming  was,  in  its  waj',  pathetic.  With  a  pes- 
simism engendered  bj  years  of  misfortune,  he  had 
found  it  impossible  to  preserve  throughout  the  morn- 
ing the  exultation  of  those  first  few  minutes  with 
Jacob  in  the  railwa^^  carriage.  He  entered  the  res- 
taurant and  came  towards  his  friend  with  a  feverish 
light  in  his  eyes  and  a  trembling  of  the  lips  which  the 
latter  only  too  well  understood. 

"  It 's  all  right,  old  fellow,"  Jacob  assured  him 
emphatically.  "  Throw  in  your  hat  with  mine. 
Here  's  our  table  —  two  cocktails  waiting,  you  see, 
and  a  bottle  of  the  best  the  place  has  —  I  tell  you  the 
old  gentleman  in  Thrcadneedle  Street  parted  without 
a  murmur.  I  'm  simply  bursting  with  money  — 
Steady,  old  chap !  " 

In  the  crowd  of  people  waiting  for  their  tables. 


28  JACOB'S   LADDER 

they  were  little  noticed,  these  two  —  Dauncey  strug- 
gling against  the  faintness,  the  rising  in  his  throat, 
the  strange  moisture  in  his  eyes,  Jacob  talking  non- 
sense as  hard  as  he  could  and  affecting  to  disregard 
these  unusual  conditions.  Soon  he  had  his  friend 
safely  seated  opposite  him,  forced  him  to  drink  his 
cocktail,  gave  cheerful  orders  to  the  waiter,  and  pro- 
duced a  brand  new  pocketbook,  which  he  laid  upon  the 
table. 

"Richard,"  he  announced,  "there's  a  hundred 
pounds  in  that.  Away  with  it,  pocketbook  and  all. 
Now  put  the  soles  of  your  feet  firmly  on  the  ground 
and  think  what  you  're  going  to  say  to  Nora  when 
you  get  home.  You  've  stood  up  against  some  nasty 
knocks.  Now  just  tell  yourself  that  they  're  all  over. 
We  '11  take  a  feast  home  to-night.  Waiter,  open  the 
wine.  By  Jove,  I  've  heard  that  pop  for  other  fel- 
lows often  enough,  but  not  one  for  myself  for  two 
years  and  more." 

"  Jacob,"  Dauncey  faltered,  "  I  can't  say  a  word, 
but  I  'm  all  right.  And  God  bless  you,"  he  added, 
raising  his  glass  and  drinking.  "  God  bless  you, 
Jacob !     You  're  a  pal." 

After  that,  the  thing  was  accepted  as  part  of  their 
lives,  and  they  talked  reasonably. 

"  This  afternoon,"  Jacob  confided,  "  I  am  going  to 
be  measured  for  half  a  dozen  suits  of  clothes.  I  am 
going  to  prowl  about  Bond  Street  and  gratify  the 
longings  of  a  lifetime  for  variegated  hosiery.     At 


JACOB'S   LADDER  29 

five  o'cloclc,  Richard,  I  shall  call  for  you  at  your 
office.  By  the  bye,  you  had  better  ask  them  how  soon 
they  can  let  you  go." 

"  They  won't  worry  about  that,"  Dauncey  an- 
swered, a  httle  bitterly.  "  Every  Saturday  for 
months  has  been  a  nightmare  to  me,  for  fear  I  'd  get 
the  sack.  They  don't  think  I  'm  smart  enough  for 
my  job  there  —  not  smart  enough  even  for  three 
pounds  a  week !  " 

"  Just  let  them  know  what  you  think  about  them, 
for  a  change,"  Jacob  enjoined.  *'  Three  pounds  a 
week,  indeed !  Tell  them  you  've  accepted  a  post  at 
five  hundred  a  year  with  a  financier  who  needs  your 
advice  with  his  investments.  That  '11  give  them 
something  to  think  about !  " 

"  It  will ! "  Dauncey  admitted,  with  a  smile. 
"  They  '11  think  I  've  gone  mad." 

"  Let  'em  think  what  they  choose,"  Jacob  insisted. 
"  You  come  out  of  it  with  your  nose  in  the  air  and 
leave  your  office  coat  behind  for  the  errand  boy. 
They  '11  always  be  worried  to  think  that  you  must 
have  been  a  great  deal  smarter  than  they  gave  you 
credit  for." 

"  I  '11  do  my  best,"  Dauncey  promised. 

"  I  shall  call  for  you  in  my  motor-car,"  Jacob  con- 
tinued ;  "  we  shall  make  purchases  on  our  way,  and 
we  shall  return  to  Marlingden  in  state.  Thank  heav- 
ens, Dick,  for  small  ambitions !  Just  for  the  mo- 
ment, I  feel  that  nothing  could  make  me  happier  than 


30  JACOB'S  LADDER 

to  be  driven  down  the  village  street,  pull  up  at  the 
shops  on  the  way  home,  and  spend  a  few  five-pound 
notes  where  I  've  had  to  look  twice  at  a  shilling." 

Dauncey  smiled  with  the  air  of  a  man  who  sees 
more  wonderful  things. 

"  That 's  all  very  well  in  its  way,  old  fellow,"  he 
admitted,  "  but  to  appreciate  this  absolutely  you 
ought  to  be  married.  I  can  think  of  nothing  but 
Nora's  face  when  I  tell  her  —  when  I  show  her  the 
pocketbook  —  when  she  begins  to  realise!  Jacob, 
it 's  worth  all  the  misery  of  the  last  few  years.  It 's 
worth  —  anything." 

Jacob's  face  glowed  with  sympathy,  but  he  made  a 
brave  attempt  to  whistle  under  his  breath  a  popular 
tune. 

"  Fact  of  it  is,  old  chap,"  he  said,  as  he  gripped  the 
bottle  for  support  and  watched  the  bubbles  rise  in 
Dauncey's  glass,  "  we  are  both  altogether  too  emo- 
tional." 

Jacob's  programme,  for  the  remainder  of  the  day, 
was  carried  out  very  nearly  as  he  had  planned  it. 
The  car  was  hired  without  difficulty,  and  the  sensa- 
tion created  in  the  village  shops  by  his  arrival  in  it, 
his  lavish  orders  and  prompt  payment,  was  ample  and 
gratifying.  Mrs.  Harris  alone  seemed  curiously  un- 
moved when  he  confided  to  her  the  story  of  this  great 
change  in  his  circumstances.  She  who  had  been  all 
kindness  and  sympathy  in  the  days  of  his  misfortune 


JACOB'S   LADDER  31 

listened  to  the  story  of  his  newly  arrived  wealth  with 
a  striking  absence  of  enthusiasm. 

"  You  '11  be  giving  up  your  rooms  now,  I  sup- 
pose? "  she  observed  with  a  sigh.  "  Want  to  go  and 
live  in  the  West  End  of  London,  or  some  such  place." 

Jacob  extended  his  arm  as  far  as  possible  around 
her  ample  waist. 

"  Mrs.  Harris,"  he  said,  "  no  one  else  in  the  world 
could  have  looked  after  me  so  well  when  I  was  poor. 
No  one  else  shall  look  after  me  now  that  I  am  rich. 
If  I  leave  here,  you  and  Harris  must  come  too,  but  I 
don't  think  that  I  shall  —  not  altogether.  There 
are  the  roses,  you  see." 

*'  And  what 's  in  that  cardboard  box.''  "  she  asked 
suspiciously. 

"A  black  silk  dress  for  you,"  Jacob  replied. 
"  You  '11  give  me  a  kiss  when  you  see  it." 

"  A  black  silk  dress  —  for  me?  "  Mrs.  Harris  fal- 
tered, her  eyes  agleam.  "  I  don't  know  what  Harris 
will  say !  " 

"  There  's  a  bicycle  at  the  station  for  him,"  Jacob 
announced.     "  No  more  two-mile  trudges  to  work, 


eh?" 


Mrs.  Harris  sat  down  suddenly  and  raised  her 
apron  to  her  eyes.  Jacob  made  his  escape  and 
crossed  the  road.  It  had  seemed  to  him  that  he  must 
have  exhausted  the  whole  gamut  of  emotions  during 
the  day,  but  there  was  still  a  moment's  revelation  for 
him  when  the  pale,  shy,  little  woman  whom  he  had 


32  JACOB'S   LADDER 

known  as  his  friend's  wife  came  running  out  to  greet 
him  with  shining  eyes  and  outstretched  hands. 

"  Mr.  Pratt !  "  she  cried.     "  Is  it  aU  true?  » 

"  It 's  all  true,  and  more  of  it,"  he  assured  her. 
*'  Your  man 's  set  up  comfortably  for  life,  and  I  am 
a  starving  millionaire.     Anything  to  eat.''  " 

She  laughed  a  little  hysterically. 

"  Why,  there  's  everything  in  the  world  to  eat,  and 
to  drink,  too,  I  should  think,"  she  answered.  "  What 
they  must  have  thought  of  you  two  men  in  the  shops, 
I  can't  imagine!  Come  into  the  dining  room,  won't 
you?     Dick 's  opening  some  wine." 

Then  followed  the  second  feast  of  the  day,  at  which 
Jacob  had  to  pretend  to  be  unconscious  of  the  fact 
that  his  host  and  hostess  were  alternately  ecstatically 
happy  and  tremulously  hysterical.  They  all  waited 
upon  themselves  and  ate  many  things  the  names  of 
which  only  were  familiar  to  them.  Dauncey  opened 
champagne  as  though  he  had  been  used  to  it  all  his 
life.  Jacob  carved  chickens  with  great  skill,  but  was  a 
little  puzzled  as  to  the  location  of  caviare  in  the  meal 
and  more  than  a  little  generous  with  the  pdte-de-foie- 
gras.  The  strawberries  and  real  Devonshire  cream 
were  an  immense  success,  and  Mrs.  Dauncey's  eyes 
grew  round  with  pleasure  at  the  sight  of  the  boxes 
of  bonbons  and  chocolates.  Afterwards  the  two 
men  wandered  out  into  the  garden,  a  quaint  strip 
of  uncultivated  land,  with  wanton  beds  of  sweet- 
smelling  flowers,   and   separated   from   the   meadow 


JACOB'S   LADDER  33 

beyond  only  by  an  untrimmed  and  odoriferous 
hedge,  wreathed  in  honeysuckle.  Over  wonderful 
cigars,  the  like  of  which  neither  of  them  had 
ever  smoked  before,  they  talked  for  a  moment  or  two 
seriously. 

"  What  are  you  really  going  to  do  with  your 
money,  Jacob?  "  Dauncey  asked.  "And  where  do  I 
come  in?  I  do  hope  I  am  going  to  have  a  chance  of 
earning  my  salary." 

Jacob  was  silent  for  a  few  moments.  In  the  half 
light,  a  new  sternness  seemed  to  have  stolen  into  his 
face. 

"  Richard,"  he  said,  "  you  've  seen  men  come  out  of 
a  fight  covered  with  scars,  —  wounds  that  burn  and 
remind  them  of  their  sufferings.  Well,  I  'm  rather 
like  that.  I  was  never  a  very  important  person, 
you  know,  but  in  the  old  days  I  was  proud  of  my  little 
business  and  my  good  name.  It  hurt  me  like  hell  to 
go  under.  It  was  bad  enough  when  people  were  kind. 
Sometimes  they  were  n't." 

"  I  know,"  Dauncey  murmured  sympathetically. 

*'  My  scars  are  there,"  Jacob  went  on.  "  If  I  had 
such  a  thing,  Dick,  I  should  say  that  they  had  burned 
their  way  into  my  soul.  I  have  n't  made  any  plans. 
Don't  think  that  I  am  going  to  embark  upon  any 
senseless  scheme  of  revenge  —  but  if  this  promise  of 
great  wealth  is  fulfilled,  I  have  some  sort  of  a  fancy 
for  using  it  as  a  scourge  to  cruelty,  or  for  giving  the 
unfortunate  a  leg  up  where  it 's  deserved.    There  are 


34    '  JACOB'S   LADDER 

one  or  two  enterprises  already  shaping  themselves  in 
my  mind,  which  might  be  brought  to  a  successful  con- 
clusion." 

"  Enterprises? "  Dauncey  repeated  a  little 
vaguely. 

Jacob  laid  his  hand  upon  his  friend's  shoulder. 
There  was  a  strange  light  in  his  eyes. 

"  Dick,"  he  said,  "  you  'd  think  I  was  a  common- 
place sort  of  fellow  enough,  wouldn't  you?  So  I 
am,  in  a  way,  and  yet  I  've  got  something  stirring 
in  my  blood  of  the  fever  which  sent  Sam  out  to  the 
far  west  of  America,  more  for  the  sheer  love  of 
going  than  for  any  hope  of  making  a  fortune. 
I  've  lived  an  everyday  sort  of  life,  but  I  've  had  my 
dreams." 

"  We  're  not  going  around  the  world  treasure 
hunting,  or  anything  of  that  sort,  are  we?  "  Dauncey 
asked  anxiously. 

"  All  the  treasure  hunting  we  shall  do,"  Jacob  re- 
plied, with  a  little  thrill  in  his  tone,  "  will  be  on  the 
London  pavements.  All  the  adventures  which  the 
wildest  buccaneers  the  world  has  ever  known  might 
crave  are  to  be  found  under  the  fogs  of  this  wonder- 
ful city.  We  shan't  need  to  travel  far  in  the  body, 
Dick.  A  little  ofHce  somewhere  in  the  West  End,  a 
little  ground  bait  which  I  know  about,  and  the  sharks 
of  the  world  will  come  stealing  around  us.  There 
are  seven  or  eight  million  people  in  London,  Dick. 
A  detective  I  once  knew  —  kind  of  thoughtful  chap 


JACOB'S   LADDER  35 

he  was  —  once  told  me  that  on  a  moderate  computa- 
tion there  were  twenty-five  thousand  of  them  who 
would  commit  murder  without  hesitation  if  they  could 
get  their  hand  deep  enough  into  their  neighbour's 
pocket." 

"  Talking  through  his  hat,"  Dauncey  muttered. 

*'  That  is  what  we  shall  find  out.  Only  remember 
this,  Richard.  I  am  convinced  that  I  possess  in  some 
degree  that  sixth  sense  the  French  criminologist 
talked  about,  —  the  sense  for  Adventure.  I  've  had 
to  keep  my  nose  to  the  grindstone,  worse  luck,  but 
there  have  been  times  when  I  've  lifted  my  head  and 
sniffed  it  in  the  air.  In  queer  places,  too  !  In  the  dark, 
shadowy  streets  of  old  towns  which  I  have  visited 
as  a  commercial  traveller,  selling  goods  by  day  and 
wandering  out  alone  by  night  into  the  backwaters. 
I  've  felt  the  thrill  there,  Dick,  trying  to  look  through 
the  curtained  windows  of  some  of  those  lonely  houses. 
I  've  been  brushed  by  a  stranger  in  Fleet  Street  and 
felt  it ;  looked  into  a  woman's  mysterious  eyes  as  she 
turned  around,  with  a  latchkey  in  her  hand,  before  a 
house  in  Bloomsbury.  We  shan't  need  to  wander  far 
away,  Richard." 

"  Seems  to  me,"  the  latter  observed,  "  that  I  am  to 
play  Man  Friday  to  —  " 

He  suddenly  stood  rigid.  He  gripped  his  friend's 
arm,  his  lips  a  little  parted.  He  was  listening  in  a 
paroxysm  of  subdued  joy.  From  out  of  the  sitting- 
room  window  came  faint  sounds  of  melody. 


36  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  It 's  Nora,"  he  murmured  ecstatically.  "  It 's 
the  first  time  for  years  !     She  's  singing !  " 

He  moved  involuntarily  towards  the  house.  Jacob 
filled  his  pipe  and  strolled  across  the  way,  home- 
wards. 


CHAPTER    IV 

Mr.  Edward  Bultiwell,  of  the  house  of  Bultiwell 
and  Sons,  sat  alone  in  his  private  office,  one  morning 
a  week  or  so  later,  and  communed  with  ghosts.  It 
was  a  large  apartment,  furnished  in  mid-Victorian 
fashion,  and,  with  the  exception  of  the  telephone  and 
electric  light,  destitute  of  any  of  the  modern  aids  to 
commercial  enterprise.  Oil  paintings  of  Mr.  Bulti- 
well's  father  and  grandfather  hung  upon  the  walls. 
A  row  of  stiff,  horsehair  chairs  with  massive  frames 
stood  around  the  room,  one  side  of  which  was  glass- 
fronted,  giving  a  view  of  the  extensive  warehouse 
beyond.  It  was  here  that  Mr.  BultiwelPs  ghosts 
were  gathered  together,  —  ghosts  of  buyers  from 
every  town  in  the  United  Kingdom,  casting  occasional 
longing  glances  towards  where  the  enthroned  mag- 
nate sat,  hoping  that  he  might  presently  issue  forth 
and  vouchsafe  them  a  word  or  two  of  greeting;  ghosts 
of  sellers,  too,  sellers  of  hides  and  skins  from  India 
and  South  America,  Mexico  and  China,  all  anxious 
to  do  business  with  the  world-famed  House  of  Bulti- 
well. Every  now  and  then  the  great  man  would  con- 
descend to  exchange  amenities  with  one  of  these  cmis- 


38  JACOB'S   LADDER 

saries  from  distant  parts.  Everywhere  was  stir  and 
bustle.  Every  few  minutes  a  salesman  would  present 
himself,  with  a  record  of  his  achievements.  All  the 
time  the  hum  of  voices,  the  clattering  of  chains,  the 
dust  and  turmoil  of  moving  merchandise,  the  coming 
and  going  of  human  beings,  all  helping  to  drive  the 
wheel  of  prosperity  for  the  House  of  Bultiwell !  .  .  . 

The  ghosts  faded  away.  Two  old  men  were  out- 
side, dusting  stacks  of  leather.  There  was  no  one 
else,  no  sound  of  movement  or  life.  Bultiwell  glanced 
at  his  watch,  as  he  sat  there  and  waited.  Presently 
he  struck  the  bell  in  front  of  him,  and  a  grey-haired 
bookkeeper  shuffled  in. 

"  What  time  did  Pedlar  say  Mr.  Pratt  would  be 
round?  "  he  asked  harshly. 

"  Between  eleven  and  twelve,  sir." 

Mr.  Bultiwell  glanced  at  his  watch  and  grunted. 

"Where's  Mr.  Haskall?  " 

"  Gone  round  to  the  sale,  sir." 

"He  got  my  message.'*"  Mr.  Bultiwell  asked  anx- 
iously. 

"  I  told  him  that  he  was  on  no  account  to  buy,  sir," 
the  cashier  assented.  "  He  was  somewhat  disap- 
pointed. There  is  a  probability  of  a  rise  in  hides, 
and  most  of  the  pits  down  at  the  tannery  are  empty." 

Mr.  Bultiwell  groaned  under  his  breath.  His  eyes 
met  the  eyes  of  his  old  employe. 

"  You  know  why  we  can't  buy  —  at  the  sales, 
Jenkins,"  he  muttered. 


JACOB'S  LADDER  39 

The  man  sighed  as  he  turned  away. 

"  I  know,  sir." 

Then  there  was  a  little  stir  in  the  place.  The  two 
men  left  off  dusting ;  the  clerks  in  the  counting-house 
raised  their  heads  hopefully.  Jacob  Pratt  arrived 
and  was  ushered  into  the  presence  of  the  head  of  the 
firm.  It  was  a  trying  moment  for  Mr.  Bultiwell,  but 
he  did  his  best.  He  wished  to  be  patronising,  kindly 
and  gracious.     He  succeeded  in  being  cringing. 

"  Glad  to  see  you,  Pratt.  Glad  to  see  you,"  he 
said.  "  Try  that  easy-chair.  A  cigar,  eh?  No.'' 
Quite  right !  Don't  smoke  much  myself  till  after 
lunch.     Seen  Pedlar  this  morning?  " 

"  I  've  just  come  from  his  office,"  Jacob  replied. 

Mr.  Bultiwell  thrust  his  hands  into  his  trousers 
pockets  and  leaned  back  in  liis  chair. 

"  Clever  fellow,  Pedlar,  but  not  so  clever  as  he 
thinks  himself.  I  don't  mind  telling  you,  Pratt,  be- 
tween ourselves,  that  it  was  entirely  my  idea  that  you 
should  be  approached  with  a  view  to  your  coming  in 
here." 

Is  that  so?  "  Jacob  observed  quietly. 
I  knew  perfectly  well  that  you  would  n't  be  con- 
tent to  do  nothing,  a  young  man  like  you,  and  if 
you  're  going  to  keep  in  the  leather  trade  at  aU,  why 
not  become  associated  with  a  firm  you  know  all  about, 
eh?  I  don't  want  to  flatter  myself,"  Mr.  Bultiwell 
proceeded,  with  a  touch  of  his  old  arrogance,  "  but 
Bultiwell's,  although  we  have  n't  been  so  energetic 


« 


40  JACOB'S  LADDER 

lately,  is  still  pretty  well  at  the  top  of  the  tree,  eh?  " 
"  Not  quite  where  it  was,  I  am  afraid,  Mr.  Bulti- 
well,"  Jacob  objected.  "  I  've  been  looking  through 
the  figures,  you  know.  Profits  seem  to  have  been  go- 
ing down  a  good  deal." 

"  Pooh !  That 's  nothing !  Hides  were  ridicu- 
lously high  all  last  year,  but  they  're  on  the  drop 
now.  Besides,  these  accountants  always  have  to 
make  out  balance  sheets  from  a  pessimistic  point  of 


view." 


"  The  present  capital  of  the  firm,"  Jacob  com- 
mented, *'  seems  to  me  astonishingly  small." 

"What's  it  figure  out  at?"  Mr.  Bultiwell  en- 
quired, with  a  fine  show  of  carelessness.  "  Forty 
thousand  pounds  ?  Well,  that  is  small  —  smaller 
than  it 's  been  at  any  time  during  the  last  ten  years. 
Perhaps  I  have  embarked  in  a  few  too  many  outside 
investments.  They  are  all  good  'uns,  though.  No 
use  having  money  lying  idle,  Mr.  Pratt,  these  days. 
Now  my  idea  was,"  he  went  on,  striving  to  hide  a 
slight  quaver  in  his  voice,  "  that  you  put  in,  say, 
eighty  thousand  pounds,  and  take  an  equal  partner- 
ship —  a  partnership,  Pratt,  remember,  in  Bulti- 
well's.   .   .   .     Eh?     What's  that?" 

Mr.  Bultiwell  looked  up  with  a  well-assumed  frown 
of  annoyance.  A  very  fashionably  dressed  young 
lady,  attractive  notwithstanding  a  certain  sullenness 
of  expression,  had  entered  the  room  carrying  a  great 
bunch  of  roses. 


JACOB'S   LADDER  41 

"  So  sorry,  dad,"  she  said,  strolling  up  to  the  table. 
"  I  understood  that  you  were  alone.  Here  are  the 
roses,"  she  added,  laying  them  upon  the  table  with- 
out enthusiasm.  "  Are  you  coming  up  west  for 
luncheon  to-day?  " 

"  My  dear,"  Mr.  Bultiwell  replied,  "  I  am  engaged 
just  now.  By  the  bye,  you  know  Mr.  Pratt,  don't 
you?     Pratt,  you  remember  my  daughter?  " 

Jacob,  whose  memories  of  that  young  lady,  with 
her  masses  of  yellow  hair  and  most  alluring  smile,  had 
kept  him  in  fairyland  for  three  months,  and  a  little 
lower  than  hell  for  the  last  two  years,  took  fierce 
command  of  himself  as  he  rose  to  his  feet  and  re- 
ceived a  very  cordial  but  somewhat  forced  greeting 
from  this  unexpected  visitor. 

"  Of  course  I  know  Mr.  Pratt,"  she  answered, 
"and  I  hope  he  has  n't  altogether  forgotten  me. 
The  last  time  I  saw  you,  you  bicycled  over  one  even- 
ing, did  n't  you,  to  see  my  father's  roses,  and  we  made 
you  play  tennis.  I  remember  how  cross  dad  was  be- 
cause you  played  without  shoes." 

"  Mr.  Pratt  is  doubtless  better  provided  in  these 
days,"  Bultiwell  observed  with  an  elephantine  smile. 
"  What  about  running  over  to  see  us  to-night  or 
to-morrow  night  in  that  new  car  of  yours,  Pratt, 
eh?  " 

"  Do  come,"  the  young  lady  begged,  with  a  very 
colourable  imitation  of  enthusiasm.  "  I  am  longing 
for  some  tennis." 


42  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  You  are  very  kind,"  Jacob  replied.  *'  May  I 
leave  it  open  just  for  a  short  time?  " 

"  Certainly,  certainly !  "  Mr.  Bultiwell  agreed. 
**  Sybil,  run  along  and  sit  in  the  waiting-room  for  a 
few  minutes.  I  '11  take  you  up  to  the  Carlton,  if  I 
can  spare  the  time.  May  take  Mr.  Pratt,  per- 
haps." 

Sybil  passed  out,  flashing  a  very  brilliant  if  not 
wholly  natural  smile  into  Jacob's  face,  as  he  held 
open  the  door.  Mr.  Bultiwell  watched  the  latter 
anxiously  as  he  returned  slowly  to  his  place.  He 
was  not  altogether  satisfied  with  the  result  of  his 
subtle  little  plot. 

"  Where  were  we?  "  he  continued,  struggling  hard 
to  persevere  in  that  cheerfulness  which  sat  upon  him 
in  these  days  like  an  ill-fitting  garment.  "  Ah !  I  know 
—  eighty  thousand  pounds  and  an  equal  partnership. 
How  does  that  appeal  to  you,  Mr.  Pratt?  " 

"  There  were  one  or  two  points  in  the  balance  sheet 
which  struck  me,"  Jacob  confessed,  gazing  down  at 
his  well-creased  trousers.  "  The  margin  between  as- 
sets and  liabilities,  though  small,  might  be  considered 
sufficient,  but  the  liability  on  bills  under  discount 
seemed  to  me  extraordinarily  large." 

Mr.  Bultiwell's  pencil,  which  had  been  straying 
idly  over  the  blotting  pad  by  his  side,  stopped.  He 
looked  at  his  visitor  with  a  frown. 

"  Credits  must  always  be  large  in  our  trade,"  he 
said  sharply.     "  You  know  that,  Mr.  Pratt." 


JACOB'S   LADDER  43 

"  Your  credits,  however,"  Jacob  pointed  out,  "  are 
abnormal.  I  ventured  to  take  out  a  list  of  six  names, 
on  each  one  of  whom  you  have  acceptances  running 
to  the  tune  of  twenty  or  thirty  thousand  pounds." 

"  The  majority  of  my  customers,"  Mr.  Bultiwell 
declared,  with  a  little  catch  in  his  breath,  "  are  as  safe 
as  the  Bank  of  England." 

Jacob  produced  a  very  elegant  morocco  pocket- 
book,  with  gold  edges,  and  studied  a  slip  of  paper 
which  he  held  towards  his  companion. 

"  Here  is  a  list  of  the  firms,"  he  continued.  "  I 
have  interviewed  most  of  them  and  made  it  worth  their 
while  to  tell  me  the  truth.  There  is  n't  one  of  them 
that  is  n't  hopelessly  insolvent.  They  are  being  kept 
on  their  legs  by  3'ou  and  your  bankers,  simply  and 
solely  to  bolster  up  the  credit  of  the  House  of  Bulti- 
well." 

"  Sir !  "  Mr.  Bultiwell  thundered. 

"  I  should  drop  that  tone,  if  I  were  you,"  Jacob 
advised  coldly.  "  You  have  been  a  bully  all  your  life, 
and  a  cruel  one  at  that.  Lately  you  have  become 
dishonest.  When  the  firm  of  Bultiwell  is  compelled 
to  file  its  petition  in  bankruptcy,  which  I  imagine 
will  be  a  matter  of  only  a  few  weeks,  I  do  not  envy 
3'ou  your  examination  before  the  official  receiver." 

Mr.  Bultiwell  collapsed  like  a  pricked  bladder. 
He  shrivelled  in  his  clothes.  There  was  a  whine  in 
his  tone  as  he  substituted  appeal  for  argument. 

"  There  's  good  business  to  be  done  here  still,"  he 


44  JACOB'S   LADDER 

pleaded.  "  Even  if  the  firm  lost  a  little  money  on 
those  names,  there  are  two  of  them  at  least  who  might 
weather  the  storm,  with  reasonable  assistance. 
Pratt,  they  tell  me  you  're  pretty  well  a  millionaire. 
I  'm  sorry  if  I  was  hard  on  you  in  the  old  days.  If 
you  won't  take  a  partnership,  will  you  buy  the  busi- 
ness ?  " 

Jacob  laughed  scornfully. 

"  If  I  were  ten  times  a  millionaire,"  he  said,  rising  to 
his  feet,  "  I  would  never  risk  a  penny  of  my  money 
to  rid  you  of  the  millstone  you  have  hung  around  your 
neck.  It  is  going  to  be  part  of  my  activity  in  life, 
Mr.  Bultiwell,  to  assist  nature  in  dispensing  justice. 
For  many  years  you  have  ruled  the  trade  in  which  we 
were  both  brought  up,  and  during  the  whole  of  that 
time  you  have  never  accomplished  a  single  gracious  or 
kindly  action.  You  have  wound  up  by  trying  to  drag 
me  into  a  business  which  is  rotten  to  the  core.  Your 
accountants  may  be  technically  justified  in  reckoning 
that  hundred  and  forty  thousand  pounds  owed  you 
by  those  six  men  as  good,  because  they  never  failed, 
but  you  yourself  know  that  they  are  hopelessly  in- 
solvent, and  that  the  moment  you  stop  renewing  their 
bills  they  will  topple  down  like  ninepins.  ...  I  would 
not  help  you  if  you  were  starving.  I  shall  read  of 
your  bankruptcy  with  pleasure.  There  is,  I  think, 
nothing  more  to  be  said." 

Mr.  Bultiwell  sat  in  his  chair,  dazed,  for  long  after 
Jacob  had  left  him.     His  daughter  reappeared  and 


JACOB'S  LADDER  45 

left  at  once,  harshly  dismissed.  His  clerks  went  out 
for  lunch  and  returned  at  the  appointed  hour.  Mr. 
Bultiwell  was  seeing  ghosts.  .  .  . 

Jacob  and  his  friend  dined  together  that  night  in  a 
well-known  grill-room.  Dauncey,  to  whom,  in  those 
days,  every  man  seemed  to  be  a  brother  and  every 
place  he  entered  a  fairy  palace,  showed  signs  of  dis- 
tress as  he  listened  to  his  companion's  story. 

"  Dear  friend,"  he  remonstrated,  "  of  what  use 
in  the  world  is  revenge?  I  do  not  suggest  that  you 
should  throw  your  money  away  trying  to  help  Bulti- 
well, but  you  might  at  least  have  left  him  alone." 

Jacob  shook  his  head.  The  corners  of  his  mouth 
tightened.     He  spoke  with  grave  seriousness. 

"  Dick,"  he  said,  "  you  are  like  the  man  who  sym- 
pathises with  the  evil  growth  which  it  is  the  surgeon's 
task  to  remove.  In  the  days  of  his  prosperity,  Bulti- 
well was  a  brute  and  a  bully.  His  only  moments  of 
comparative  geniality  came  when  he  was  steeped  in 
wine  and  glutted  with  food.  His  own  laziness  and 
self-indulgence  paved  the  way  to  his  ruin.  He  then 
became  dishonest.  He  deliberately  tried  to  cheat  me ; 
he  stooped  even  to  the  paltr}'  trick  of  remembering 
that  I  once  admired  his  daughter,  and  dragged  her 
in  to  complete  his  humiliation.  Believe  me,  the 
world  is  a  better  place  without  its  Bultiwells  —  a 
better  and  a  healthier  place  —  and  where  I  find  them 
in  life,  I  am  going  to  use  the  knife." 


46  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  You  have  used  it  this  time  perhaps  even  more 
effectually  than  you  thought,"  Dauncey  groaned,  as 
he  took  an  evening  paper  from  his  pocket  and  passed 
it  across  the  table.  "  Mr.  Bultiwell  shot  himself  in 
his  office,  late  this  afternoon.  I  did  not  tell  you  be- 
fore, for  fear  it  might  spoil  your  dinner." 

Jacob  sipped  his  wine,  unmoved. 

"  It  was  really  the  only  thing  left  for  him,"  was 
his  brief  comment. 

Dauncey  was  once  more  the  melancholy  man. 

"I  hope  that  all  your  interventions,  or  whatever 
you  may  call  them,"  he  said,  "  won't  end  in  the  same 

way." 

Jacob's  eyes  looked  through  the  walls  of  the  res- 
taurant. A  sudden  impulse  of  fancy  had  carried  him 
forward  into  that  land  of  adventure  to  which  he  held 
the  golden  key.  He  felt  the  thrill  of  danger,  the 
mystery  of  unknown  places.  He  passed  from  palace 
to  hovel.  He  heard  the  curse  of  the  defeated 
schemer,  he  felt  the  warmth  and  joy  of  gratitude. 
All  these  figures,  save  one,  were  imaginary,  and  that 
one  was  always  there,  always  watching,  always  with 
that  look  of  reproach  which  he  seemed  already  to 
see  in  her  cold  blue  eyes.  He  fancied  himself  plead- 
ing with  her,  only  to  be  scorned;  hiding  from  the 
dangers  she  invoked ;  fancied  her  the  protectress  of  his 
enemies,  the  evil  genius  of  those  whom  he  would  have 
befriended.  And  all  the  time  there  lingered  in  the 
background  of  his  mind  the  memory  of  that  single 


JACOB'S  LADDER  47 

evening  when,  angered  by  her  father's  condescension, 
she  had  chosen  to  be  kind  to  him ;  had  shown  him  the 
secret  places  in  that  wonderful  garden,  glorious  with 
budding  rhododendrons,  fragrant  with  the  roses 
drooping  from  the  long  pergola,  —  a  little  scene  out 
of  fairyland,  through  which  he  had  walked  under  the 
rising  moon  like  a  man  bewildered  with  strange  hap- 
piness. 

Richard  leaned  forward  in  his  place. 

"  Are  you  seeing  ghosts  ?  "  he  asked  curiously. 

Jacob  was  suddenly  back  from  that  unreal  world 
into  which  his  magical  prosperity  had  pitchforked 
him.  He  drained  the  glass  wliich  he  raised  to  his  lips 
\\dth  firm  fingers. 

"  Ghosts  belong  to  the  past,"  he  answered.  "  All 
that  we  have  any  concern  with  is  the  future." 


CHAPTER    V 

Jacob,  in  the  midst  of  those  pleasant  activities 
necessitated  by  his  change  of  fortunes,  found  time  to 
write  a  letter.  He  wrote  it  with  great  care  and  after 
many  revisions,  and  not  until  after  it  was  dispatched 
4id  he  realise  with  how  much  anxiety  he  awaited  the 
reply. 

The  Cottage, 
Marlingden. 
Dear  Miss  Bultiwell, 

I  am  venturing  to  write  these  few  lines  to  assure 
you  of  my  very  deep  sympathy  with  you  in  the  loss 
which  you  have  sustained,  and  I  beg  also  to  express 
the  earnest  hope  that  you  will  not  associate  me  in 
any  way  with  those  misfortunes  of  your  father  which 
I  was  powerless  to  avert  or  lighten. 

I  have  a  further  object  in  writing  to  you,  which  I 
hesitate  to  touch  upon  for  fear  I  should  give  you 
offence,  but  I  do  beg.  Miss  Bultiwell,  that  you  will 
accept  my  offer  in  a  kind  and  generous  spirit,  and  be- 
lieve that  it  is  entirely  dictated  by  feelings  of  friend- 
ship for  you.  I  gather  that  your  father's  affairs 
are  so  much  involved  that  a  considerable  interval  may 
elapse  before  any  substantial  sum  can  be  collected 
from  his  estate  for  the  benefit  of  yourself  and  your 


JACOB'S  LADDER  49 

mother.  I  beg,  therefore,  as  a  person  into  whose 
hands  great  wealth  has  come  quite  unexpectedly,  that 
jou  will,  if  it  is  the  slightest  convenience  to  you,  per- 
mit me  to  offer  to  make  any  advance  necessary  for 
your  comfort.  At  a  word  from  you,  it  will  give  me 
the  greatest  pleasure  to  place  a  thousand  pounds,  or 
any  such  sum,  in  any  bank  you  may  name,  for  your 
use  until  the  estate  is  wound  up. 

If  I  have  expressed  myself  crudely,  please  forgive 
me.  Miss  Bultiwell.  I  have  a  sincere  desire  to  be  of 
service  to  you,  and  I  would  like  very  much  to  be  able 
to  sign  myself 

Your  friend, 
Jacob  Pratt. 

The  reply  came  b}^  return  of  post.  It  was  dated 
from  the  late  Mr.  Bultiwell's  house,  a  few  miles  far- 
ther down  the  line  than  Marlingden. 

Dear  Mr.  Pratt, 

The  offer  contained  in  your  letter,  which  I  received 
this  morning,  may  possibly  have  been  kindly  meant, 
but  I  wish  you  to  know  that  I  consider  it  an  insult. 
My  father  took  his  life  after  an  interview  with  you, 
during  which  I  understand  that  you  rejected  a  busi- 
ness proposition  of  his  in  terms  which  I  cannot  help 
suspecting,  from  your  attitude  while  I  was  present, 
were  unnecessarily  brutal.  Under  those  circum- 
stances, you  can  scarcely  wonder  that  I,  his  daughter, 
feel  the  greatest  resentment  at  your  offer  and  decline 
without   the   slightest   hesitation   your   proposal   of 

friendship. 

Yours  truly, 
Sybil  Bultiwell. 


50  JACOB'S  LADDER 

Jacob  read  the  letter  as  he  sat  out  amongst  his 
roses,  with  the  engine  of  his  motor-car  purring  in  the 
street,  waiting  to  take  him  to  town.  For  a  few  mo- 
ments all  the  joy  of  his  new  prosperity  seemed  to 
slip  away  from  him.  The  perfume  of  his  cherished 
flowers  lost  its  sweetness  ;  the  pleasant  view  of  spread- 
ing meadows,  with  their  background  of  dim  blue  hills, 
faded  from  before  his  eyes.  He  remembered  the 
girl's  face  as  he  had  first  seen  and  afterwards  dreamed 
of  it,  the  eyes  shining  with  kindliness,  the  proud  lips 
smiling  encouragement,  her  tone  purposely  softened, 
leading  him  on  to  talk  about  himself,  his  pleasant 
hobbies,  his  dawning  ambitions.  And  then  again  he 
thought  of  her  as  she  must  have  looked  when  she  sat 
down  to  write  that  letter,  amidst  the  discomfort  of  a 
dismantled  home,  embittered  and  saddened  by  the 
sordid  approach  of  ignominious  poverty.  He  shiv- 
ered a  little  and  looked  up  as  Dauncey  approached. 

"  I  almost  wish,"  he  declared,  "  that  I  had  bought 
that  old  swindler's  business.  It  would  n't  have  cost 
me  a  tenth  part  of  what  I  am  worth." 

"  Has  the  girl  been  unkind?  "  his  friend  asked. 

Jacob  showed  him  the  letter. 

"  She  's  not  generous,"  was  Dauncey's  comment,  as 
he  returned  it. 

"  She  's  loyal,  at  any  rate,"  Jacob  replied. 

Dauncey's  face  suddenly  softened.  His  wife  was 
leaning  over  the  gate  waving  her  hand.  His  eyes 
watched  her  retreating  figure  until  she  disappeared. 


JACOB'S   LADDER  51 

"  Somehow  or  other,"  he  ventured  a  little  hesitat- 
ingly, as  he  turned  back  to  Jacob,  "  I  can't  help 
thinking  that  the  tone  of  that  letter  is  n't  altogether 
womanly.  She  must  know  the  truth  about  her 
father's  position.  It  does  n't  seem  fair  to  blame  you 
for  your  perfectly  reasonable  attitude." 

"  Why,  even  j^ou  thought  I  was  hard  at  the  time," 
Jacob  reminded  him. 

"  You  were  hard  but  you  were  just,  and  your  offer 
to  the  young  lady  and  her  motlier  should  certainly 
have  evoked  some  feeling  of  gratitude.  I  don't  like 
a  woman  to  be  too  independent." 

"  You  've  never  seen  her,"  Jacob  groaned. 

"  Not  to  speak  to,  but  I  've  seen  her  once  or  twice 
on  the  platform  with  her  father.  She  is  very  good- 
looking,  of  course,"  Dauncey  continued  hesitatingly, 
"  although  she  always  reminded  me  of  one  of  the  con- 
ventional pictures  of  the  birth  or  purse-proud  young 
women  which  adorn  the  illustrated  papers." 

"  You  've  never  seen  her  smile,"  Jacob  said  gloom- 
ily, as  he  rose  to  his  feet.  "  However,  she  may  get 
more  reasonable  after  the  first  shock  has  passed 
away.   .   .  Time  we  started  for  the  City,  eh,  Dick?  " 

They  motored  through  the  old-fashioned  villages 
and  along  the  quiet  country  lanes,  towards  where  the 
wide-flung  arms  of  the  great  city  crept  out  like  ten- 
tacles of  hideous  brick  and  mortar,  to  gather  in  her 
children.  This  morning  ride  was  to  both  of  them  a 
never-ending  source  of  delight.     Jacob  especially  had 


52  JACOB'S  LADDER 

the  air  of  a  schoolboy  when  he  remembered  the  punc- 
tual train,  his  punctual  appearance  at  the  dingy 
warehouse  in  Bermondsey  Street,  his  inevitable  sally- 
ing forth,  half-an-hour  later,  with  a  list  of  names  in 
his  pocket,  a  few  samples  of  leather  in  his  bag,  and 
the  stock  phrases  of  the  market  packed  into  his  head 
by  the  never-satisfied  Mr.  Smith. 

"  A  free  man,  Dick,"  he  observed,  taking  his  cigar 
from  his  mouth  and  drawing  a  long  breath  of  con- 
tent. "A  free  man  at  thirty-four  years  of  age. 
It 's  wonderful !  " 

"  If  it  only  lasts ! "  Dauncey  muttered,  with  a 
touch  of  his  old  pessimism. 

"  You  can  cut  that  out,  old  fellow,"  Jacob  in- 
sisted firmly.  "  I  gave  Pedlar  a  cheque  for  thirty- 
eight  thousand  pounds  yesterday,  and  that  left  me 
fifty-five  thousand  of  the  original  hundred  thousand. 
Since  then  I  have  received  bonds  to  the  registered  par 
value  of  four  hundred  thousand  pounds,  which  are 
being  sold  to-day  in  New  York  at  eight  times  their 
par  value.  Then  there  was  a  quarterly  dividend 
cheque  yesterday  for  nine  thousand  pounds.  You  'U 
admit  the  money  's  there." 

"  Can't  deny  facts,"  Dauncey  agreed,  with  return- 
ing cheerfulness. 

"  As  regards  your  personal  position,"  Jacob  went 
on,  "  I  made  my  will  yesterday  and  I  left  you  five 
hundred  a  year." 

"Jacob!" 


JACOB'S  LADDER  53 

Jacob  patted  his  friend  on  the  shoulder. 

"  I  've  only  told  you  this,  old  chap,"  he  went  on, 
"  because  I  want  you  to  Hft  up  your  head  when  you 
walk,  remember  that  you  owe  nobody  anything,  and 
that,  whatever  measure  of  bad  luck  you  may  have, 
you  are  outside  all  risk  of  financial  trouble  for  the 
rest  of  your  life.  It 's  a  wonderful  feeling,  that, 
Dick.  Half  the  men  you  meet  in  life  admit  that  they 
have  their  fits  of  depression,  their  dark  days,  their 
anxieties.  If  you  analyse  these,  3'ou  will  find  that 
nearly  every  one  of  them  is  financial.  The  man  who 
is  free  from  all  financial  cares  for  himself  and  his 
family  should  walk  about  with  a  song  on  his  lips  the 
whole  of  the  day.  You  and  I  are  in  that  position, 
Dick,  and  don't  let  us  forget  it." 

Dauncey  drew  in  a  deep  breath  of  realisation,  and 
his  face  for  a  moment  glowed. 

"  Jacob,"  he  confided,  "  I  don't  feel  that  I  could 
ever  be  unhappy  again.  I  have  what  I  always 
dreamed  of  —  Nora  and  the  kids  and  freedom  from 
anxiety.  But  you  —  where  wiU  life  lead  you,  I  won- 
der? I  have  reached  the  summit  of  my  ambitions. 
I  'm  giddy  with  the  pleasure  of  it.  But  you  —  it 
would  be  horrible  if  you,  with  all  your  money,  were 
to  miss  happiness." 

Jacob  smiled  confidently. 

"  My  dear  Dick,"  he  said,  "  I  am  happy  —  not  be- 
cause I  have  twelve  suits  of  clothes  coming  home  from 
Savile  Row  to-day,  not  because  of  this  Rolls-Royce 


54  JACOB'S  LADDER 

car,  my  little  flat  at  the  Milan  Court,  my  cottage  at 
Marlingden,  with  Harris  there  for  gardener  now,  and 
Mrs.  Harris  with  not  a  worry  in  the  world  except 
how  to  make  me  comfortable.  I  am  happy  not  be- 
cause of  all  these  things,  but  because  you  and  I  to- 
gether are  going  to  test  life.  I  have  the  master  key 
to  the  locked  chambers.     I  am  ready  for  adventures.'* 

"  I  have  about  as  much  imagination  as  an  owl," 
Dauncey  sighed. 

Jacob's  ej'es  were  fixed  upon  the  haze  which  hung 
over  the  city. 

"  When  I  speak  of  adventures,"  he  went  on,  "  I  do 
not  mean  the  adventures  of  romance.  I  mean  rather 
the  adventures  of  the  pavement.  Human  beings  in- 
terest me,  Dick.  I  like  to  see  them  come  and  go, 
study  their  purposes,  analyse  their  motives,  help 
them  if  they  deserve  help,  stand  in  their  way  if  they 
seek  evil.  These  are  the  day-by-day  adventures  pos- 
sible to  the  man  who  is  free  from  care,  and  who  mixes 
without  hindrance  with  his  fellows." 

"  I  begin  to  understand,"  Dauncey  admitted,  "  but 
I  still  don't  quite  see  by  what  means  you  are  sure  of 
coming  into  touch  with  interesting  people." 

Jacob  knocked  the  ash  from  his  cigar. 

"  Dick,"  he  said,  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eyes,  "  you 
are  a  very  superficial  student  of  humanity.  A  story 
such  as  mine  attracts  the  imagination  of  the  public. 
Every  greedy  adventurer  in  the  world  believes  that 
the  person  who  has   acquired  wealth  without  indi- 


JACOB'S  LADDER  55 

vidual  effort  is  an  easy  prey.  I  expect  to  derive  a 
certain  amount  of  amusement  from  those  who  read 
of  my  good  fortune  and  seek  to  profit  by  it.  That 
is  why  I  had  no  objection  to  telling  my  story  to  the 
reporters,  why  I  let  them  take  my  photograph,  why 
I  gave  them  all  the  information  they  wanted  about 
the  payment  of  my  creditors  in  full  and  my  sudden 
wealth.  All  that  we  need  now  is  the  little  West  End 
office  which  I  am  going  to  take  within  the  next  few 
days,  and  a  brass  plate  upon  the  door.  The  fly  will 
then  sit  still  and  await  the  marauding  spiders." 

Dauncey  smiled  with  all  the  enthusiasm  of  his  new- 
found sense  of  humour. 

"  Five  hundred  a  year,"  he  murmured,  "  to  be 
henchman  to  a  bluebottle !  " 


CHAPTER    VI 

The  acquisition  of  West  End  premises  presented 
no  particular  difficulty,  and  in  a  few  weeks'  time  be- 
hold a  transformed  and  glorified  Jacob  Pratt,  seated 
in  a  cushioned  swivel  chair  before  a  roll-top  desk,  in 
an  exceedingly  handsomely  appointed  office  overlook- 
ing Waterloo  Place.  The  summit  of  one  of  his  ambi- 
tions had  been  easily  gained.  The  cut  of  his  black 
morning  coat  and  neat  grey  trousers,  the  patent 
shoes  and  spats,  his  irreproachable  linen,  and  the 
modest  but  beautiful  pearl  pin  which  reposed  in  his 
satin  tie  were  indications  of  thoughtful  and  well- 
directed  hours  spent  in  the  very  Mecca  of  a  man's 
sartorial  ambitions.  Standing  by  his  side,  with  a 
packet  of  correspondence  in  his  hand,  Dauncey,  in 
his  sober,  dark  serge  suit,  presented  a  very  adequate 
representation  of  the  part  of  confidential  assistant 
and  secretary  to  a  financial  magnate. 

*'  Nothing  but  begging  letters  again  this  morning," 
he  announced ;  "  four  hospitals ;  the  widow  of  an 
officer,  still  young,  who  desires  a  small  loan  and  would 
prefer  a  personal  interview;  and  the  daughter  of  a 
rural  dean  down  in  the  country,  pining  for  London 


JACOB'S  LADDER  57 

life,  and  only  wanting  a  start  in  any  position  where 
good  looks,  an  excellent  figure,  and  a  bright  and  lov- 
ing disposition  would  be  likely  to  meet  with  their  due 
reward." 

"  Hm !  "  Jacob  muttered.  "  Pitch  'em  into  the 
waste-paper  basket." 

"  There  are  a  packet  of  prospectuses  —  " 

"  Send  them  along,  too." 

"  And  a  proposal  from  a  Mr.  Poppleton  Watts 
that  you  should  endow  a  national  theatre,  for  which 
he  offers  himself  as  actor  manager.  You  provide  the 
cash,  and  he  takes  the  whole  responsibility  off  your 
shoulders.  The  letter  is  dated  from  the  Corn  Ex- 
change, Market  Harborough." 

"  Scrap  him  with  the  rest,"  Jacob  directed,  leaning 
back  in  his  chair.  "  Anything  more  you  want  for 
the  place,  Dick?  " 

The  two  men  looked  around.  There  were  rows  of 
neatly  arranged  files,  all  empty;  an  unused  type- 
writer; a  dictaphone  and  telephone.  The  outer 
office,  where  Dauncey  spent  much  of  his  time,  was 
furnished  with  the  same  quiet  elegance  as  the  inner 
apartment.     There  seemed  to  be  nothing  lacking. 

"  A  larger  waste-paper  basket  is  the  only  thing  I 
can  suggest,"  Dauncey  observed  drily. 

Then  came  the  sound  for  which,  with  different  de- 
grees of  interest,  both  men  had  been  waiting  since  the 
opening  of  the  offices  a  fortnight  before.  There  was. 
a  tap  at  the  outer  door,  the  sound  of  a  bell  and  foot- 


58  JACOB'S  LADDER 

steps  in  the  passage.  Dauncey  hurried  out,  closing 
the  door  of  the  private  office  behind  him.  His  chief 
drew  a  packet  of  papers  from  a  receptacle  in  his 
desk,  forced  a  frown  on  to  his  smooth  forehead,  and 
buried  himself  in  purposeless  calculations. 

Dauncey  confronted  the  visitors.  There  were  two 
of  them  —  one  whose  orientalism  of  speech  and  fea- 
tures was  unsuccessfully  camouflaged  by  the  splen- 
dour of  his  city  attire,  the  other  a  rather  burly, 
middle-aged  man,  in  a  worn  tweed  suit,  carrying  a 
bowler  hat,  with  no  gloves,  and  having  the  general 
appearance  of  a  builder  or  tradesman  of  some  sort. 
His  companion  took  the  lead. 

"  Is  Mr.  Jacob  Pratt  in?  "  he  enquired. 

*'  Mr.  Pratt  is  in  but  very  busy,"  Dauncey  an- 
swered doubtfully.     "  Have  you  an  appointment?  " 

"  We  have  not,  but  we  are  willing  to  await  Mr. 
Pratt's  convenience,"  was  the  eager  reply,  "  Will 
you  be  so  good  as  to  take  in  my  card?  Mr.  Mon- 
tague, my  name  is  —  Mr.  Dane  Montague." 

Dauncey  accepted  the  mission  after  a  little  hesita- 
tion, knocked  reverently  at  the  door  of  the  inner 
office,  and  v,ent  in  on  tiptoe,  closing  the  door  behind 
him.  He  presented  the  card  to  Jacob,  who  was  bus- 
ily engaged  in  polishing  the  tip  of  one  of  his  patent 
.shoes  with  a  fragment  of  blotting  paper. 

*'  A  full-blown  adventure,"  he  announced.  "  A 
man  who  looks  like  a  money-lender,  and  another  who 
might  be  his  client." 


JACOB'S  LADDER  59 

"  Did  the}'  state  the  nature  of  their  business  ?  " 
Jacob  demanded. 

"  They  did  not,  but  it  is  written  in  the  face  of  Mr. 
Dane  Montague.  He  wants  as  much  of  your  million 
as  he  can  induce  you  to  part  with.  What  his  meth- 
ods may  be,  however,  I  don't  know." 

"  Show  them  in  when  I  ring  the  bell,"  Jacob  di- 
rected, drawing  the  packet  of  papers  once  more 
towards  him.  "  Extraordinarily'  complicated  mass  of 
figures  here,"  he  added. 

Dauncey  withdrew  into  the  outer  office,  closing  the 
door  behind  him  and  still  walking  on  tiptoe. 

"  Mr.  Pratt  will  see  you  in  a  few  minutes,"  he  said, 
with  the  air  of  one  who  imparts  great  news.  "  Please 
be  seated." 

The  two  men  subsided  into  chairs.  Dauncey 
thrust  a  sheet  of  paper  into  a  typewriter  and  desper- 
ately dashed  off  a  few  lines  to  an  imaginary  corre- 
spondent. Then  the  bell  from  the  inner  office  rang, 
and,  beckoning  the  two  men  to  follow  him,  he  opened 
the  door  of  Jacob's  sanctum  and  ushered  them  in. 
Mr.  Dane  Montague  advanced  to  the  desk  with  a 
winning  smile. 

"  My  name  is  Dane  Montague,"  he  announced,  os- 
tentatiously drawing  off  his  glove  and  holding  out  a 
white,  pudgy  hand.  "  I  am  delighted  to  meet  you, 
IVIr.  Pratt.  This  is  my  friend,  Mr.  James  Littleham, 
Tlie  name  may  be  known  to  you  in  connection  with 
various  building  contracts.' 


5» 


60  JACOB'S  LADDER 

Jacob  thrust  away  the  papers  upon  which  he  had 
been  engaged,  with  an  air  of  resignation. 

"  Pray  be  seated,  gentlemen,"  he  invited.  "  My 
time  is  scarcely  my  own  just  now.  May  I  ask  you  to 
explain  the  nature  of  your  business  in  as  few  words 
as  possible.'*  " 

"  Those  are  my  methods  exactly,"  Mr.  Dane  Mon- 
tague declared,  throwing  himself  into  the  client's 
chair,  balancing  his  finger  tips  together,  and  frown- 
ing slightly.  It  was  in  this  position  that  he  had  once 
been  photographed  as  the  organiser  of  a  stillborn 
Exhibition. 

"  My  friend  Littleham,"  he  continued,  "  is  a 
builder  of  great  experience.  I  am,  in  my  small  way, 
a  financier.  We  have  called  to  propose  a  business 
enterprise  to  you." 

"  Go  on,"  Jacob  said. 

"  You  are  doubtless  aware  that  large  sums  of 
money  have  recently  been  made  by  the  exploitation  in 
suitable  spots  of  what  have  become  known  as  Garden 
Cities." 

Jacob  gave  a  noncommittal  nod  and  his  visitor 
cleared  his  throat. 

"  Mr.  Littleham  and  I  have  a  scheme  which  goes  a 
little  further,"  he  went  on.  "  We  have  discovered  a 
tract  of  land  within  easy  distance  of  London,  where 
genuine  country  residences  can  be  built  and  offered  at 
a  ridiculously  moderate  cost." 

*'  Land  speculation,  eh.''  " 


JACOB'S  LADDER  61 

"  Not  a  speculation  at  all,"  was  the  prompt  reply. 
"  A  certainty !  Littleham,  please  oblige  me  with  that 
plan." 

Mr.  Littleham  produced  an  architect's  roll  from  his 
pocket.  His  companion  spread  it  out  upon  the  desk 
before  Jacob  and  drew  an  imitation  gold  pencil  from 
his  pocket. 

"  All  along  here,"  he  explained,  tapping  upon  the 
plan,  "  is  a  common,  sloping  gently  towards  the 
south.  The  views  all  around  are  wonderful.  The 
air  is  superb.  There  are  five  hundred  acres  of  it. 
Here,"  he  went  on,  tapping  a  round  spot,  "  is  a  small 
town,  the  name  of  which  we  will  not  mention  for  the 
moment.  Tlie  Great  Central  expresses  stop  here. 
The  journey  to  town  takes  forty  minutes.  That  five 
hundred  acres  of  land  can  be  bought  for  twenty  thou- 
sand pounds.  It  can  be  resold  in  half-acre  and  acre 
lots  for  building  purposes  at  a  profit  of  thirty  or 
forty  per  cent." 

"  The  price  of  the  land,  if  it  is  according  to  your 
description,  is  low,"  Jacob  remarked.     "  Why.''  " 

Mr.  Dane  Montague  flashed  an  excellently  simu- 
lated look  of  admiration  at  his  questioner. 

"  That 's  a  shrewd  question,  Mr.  Pratt,"  he  con- 
fessed. "  We  are  going  to  be  honest  and  aboveboard 
with  you.  The  price  is  low  because  the  Urban  Coun- 
cil of  this  town  here  "  —  tapping  on  the  plan  — 
"  will  not  enter  into  any  scheme  for  supplying  light- 
ing or  water  outside  the  three-mile  boundary." 


62  JACOB'S   LADDER 

"  Then  what 's  the  use  of  the  land  for  building?  " 
Jacob  demanded. 

"  I  will  explain,"  the  other  continued.  "  Situated 
here,  two  miles  from  our  land,  are  the  premises,  works 
and  reservoir  of  the  Cropstone  Wood,  Water  and 
Electric  Light  Company.  They  are  in  a  position  to 
supply  everything  in  that  way  which  the  new  colony 
might  desire." 

*'  A  going  concern?  "  Jacob  enquired. 

''  Certainly !  "  was  the  prompt  reply.  "  But  it  is 
in  connection  with  this  Company  that  we  expect  to 
make  a  certain  additional  profit." 

Jacob  glanced  at  the  clock. 

"  You  must  hurry,"  he  enjoined, 

"The  Cropstone  Wood  Company,"  Mr.  Dane 
Montague  confided,  "  is  in  a  poorish  way  of  business. 
The  directors  are  sick  of  their  job.  They  know 
nothing  about  our  plan  for  building  on  the  estate, 
and,  to  cut  a  long  story  short,  we  have  secured  a  six 
months'  option  to  purchase  the  whole  concern  at  a 
very  low  price.  As  soon  as  the  building  commences 
on  the  common,  we  shall  exercise  that  option.  We 
shall  make  a  handsome  profit  on  the  rise  in  the  shares 
of  the  Cropstone  Wood  Company,  but  our  proposal 
is  to  work  the  company  ourselves.  At  the  price  we 
can  offer  them  at,  it  is  certain  that  every  building 
lot  will  be  sold.  Mr.  Littleham  here  has  prepared  a 
specification  of  various  forms  of  domiciles  suited  to 
the  neighbourhood." 


JACOB'S   LADDER  63 

Mr.  Littleham,  in  a  remarkably  thick  voice,  inter- 
vened. 

"  I  can  run  'em  up  six-roomers  at  three  hundred 
quid ;  eight  and  ten  at  five ;  and  a  country  villa,  with 
half  an  acre  of  garden,  for  a  thousand,"  he  an- 
nounced, relapsing  at  the  conclusion  of  his  sentence 
into  his  former  state  of  sombre  watching. 

"  There  's  a  very  fair  profit  to  be  made,  you  see,"" 
Mr.  Dane  IMontague  pointed  out,  "  on  the  sale  of  the 
land  and  houses,  without  going  more  closely  into  the 
figures,  but  we  want  to  be  dead  straight  with  you,. 
Mr.  Pratt.  There  should  be  an  additional  profit  on 
the  electric  light  and  water  which  we  supply  from  the 
Cropstone  Wood  Company." 

"I  see,"  Jacob  remarked  thoughtfully.  "  Wlien 
they  've  bought  their  land,  and  the  houses  are  begin- 
ning to  materialise,  you  can  charge  them  what  you 
like  for  the  water  and  lighting." 

Mr.  Dane  Montague  beamed,  with  the  air  of  one 
whose  faith  in  the  shrewdness  of  a  fellow  creature  has 
been  justified. 

"  You  've  hit  the  bull's-eye,"  he  declared.  "  We  Ve 
got  the  cost  of  service  all  worked  out,  and,  added  to 
the  price  we  '11  have  to  pay  for  the  Company,  it  don't 
come  to  more  than  forty  thousand  pounds.  Then 
we  shall  have  the  whole  thing  in  our  own  hands  and 
can  charge  what  we  damned  well  please." 

Jacob  leaned  back  in  his  chair  and  surveyed  his  two 
visitors.     There  was  a  gleam  in  his  eyes  which  might 


64  JACOB'S   LADDER 

have  meant  admiration  —  or  possibly  something  else. 
Neither  of  the  two  men  noticed  it. 

"  It 's  quite  a  scheme,"  he  remarked. 

"  It 's  a  gold  mine,"  Mr.  Dane  Montague  pro- 
nounced enthusiastically. 

"  There  '11  be  pickings  every  way,"  the  builder  mur- 
mured thickly,  with  a  covetous  gleam  in  his  eyes. 

Jacob  glanced  at  his  watch. 

"  I  '11  see  the  property  this  afternoon,"  he  prom- 
ised. "  If  your  statement  is  borne  out  by  the  facts, 
I  am  willing  to  come  in  with  you.  How  much  money 
do  you  require  from  me?  " 

Mr.  Dane  Montague  coughed.  Mr.  Littleham 
looked  more  stolid  than  ever. 

"  The  fact  of  the  matter  is,"  the  former  explained, 
"  Mr.  Littleham  here  is  tied  up  with  so  much  land 
that  he  has  very  little  of  the  ready  to  spare  at  pres- 
ent. Personally,  I  have  been  so  fortunate  lately  in 
the  City,  had  so  many  good  things  brought  to  me  by 
my  pals,  that  I  am  pretty  well  up  to  the  neck  until 
things  begin  to  move." 

Jacob  studied  the  speaker  thoughtfully.  He  was 
an  observant  person,  and  he  noticed  that  Mr.  Dane 
Montague's  glossy  hat  showed  signs  of  frequent  iron- 
ing, that  there  were  traces  of  ink  at  the  seams  of  his 
black  coat,  and  the  suggestion  of  a  patch  on  the 
patent  boot  which  lingered  modestly  under  his  chair. 

"  You  mean,  I  suppose,  that  you  wish  me  to  pro- 
vide the  whole  of  the  capital.''  "  Jacob  remarked. 


JACOB'S  LADDER  65 

Mr.  Dane  Montague  couglied. 

"  You  happen  to  be  the  only  one  of  the  trio  who 
has  it  in  fluid  form,"  he  pointed  out.  "  It  would  suit 
us  better  to  recognise  3'^ou  a  little  more  generously  in 
the  partition  of  the  profits  as  the  land  is  sold,  and 
for  you  to  finance  the  whole  thing." 

I  have  no   objection   to   that,"   Jacob  decided, 
provided  I  am  satisfied  in  other  respects.     How  far 
is  this  delectable  spot  by  road?  " 

"  Twenty-two  miles,"  Mr.  Littleham  replied. 
**  Barely  that  if  you  know  the  way." 

"  I  will  inspect  the  property  this  afternoon,"  Jacob 
announced. 

"  Capital ! "  Mr.  Dane  Montague  exclaimed. 
*'  You  are  a  man  after  my  own  heart,  Mr.  Pratt. 
You  strike  while  the  iron  's  hot.  Now  what  about  a 
little  lunch,  say  at  the  Milan,  before  starting?  " 

"  On  condition  that  I  am  allowed  to  be  host," 
Jacob  stipulated,  "  I  shall  be  delighted." 

Mr,  Dane  INIontague  chuckled.  The  suggestion 
relieved  him  of  a  certain  disquietude  regarding  the 
contents  of  his  pocketbook. 

"  No  objection  to  that,  I  am  sure,  Mr.  Pratt,"  he 
declared.  "Eh,   Littleham?     At   one   o'clock   at 

the  Milan  Grill,  then." 

"  You  can  rely  upon  me,"  Jacob  promised. 

He  entertained  his  two  new  friends  to  a  very  ex- 
cellent lunch,  but  he  insisted  upon  bidding  them  au 
revoir  on  the  threshold  of  the  restaurant.     Jacob  had 


§6  JACOB'S  LADDER 

views  of  his  own  about  inspecting  the  Cropstone 
Wood  Estate. 

"  I  wish  to  form  a  wholly  unbiased  opinion  as  re- 
gards the  value  of  the  property,"  he  declared,  "  and 
I  should  much  prefer  to  walk  over  it  alone.  Besides, 
if  we  are  all  of  us  seen  there  together  —  " 

"  I  quite  understand,"  Mr.  Dane  Montague  inter- 
rupted. "  Not  another  word,  Mr.  Pratt.  Little- 
ham,  direct  Mr.  Pratt's  driver,"  he  added.  *'  I  have 
never  been  down  by  road  myself." 

Littleham  entered  into  explanations  with  the 
chauffeur,  and  Mr.  Montague  conversed  in  low  but 
earnest  tones  with  Jacob  upon  the  pavement. 

"  Don't  think,  Mr.  Pratt,"  he  said,  "  that  we  are 
asking  you  to  take  part  in  a  speculation,  because  we 
are  not.  That  land  at  forty  pounds  an  acre  is  a 
gift.  You  could  buy  it  and  forget  all  about  it  for 
ten  years,  and  I  would  n't  mind  guaranteeing  that 
you  doubled  your  capital.  It 's  just  one  of  those 
amazing  chances  which  come  now  and  then  in  a  man's 
lifetime.  The  only  thing  that  rather  put  us  in  a 
corner  was  the  fact  that  the  money  has  to  be  found 
within  forty-eight  hours.  That  won't  worry  you, 
Mr.  Pratt." 

"  It  will  make  no  difference  to  me,"  Jacob  ad- 
mitted. 

"  Then  good  luck  to  you  and  a  pleasant  journey,'* 
was  Mr.  Montague's  valediction. 

Jacob  called  for  Dauncey,  and  after  an  hour's 


(( 
ii 


JACOB'S  LADDER  67 

ride  they  had  tea  in  a  small  country  town  and  walked 
along  the  edge  of  the  common  which  Mr.  Dane  Mon- 
tague had  described.  From  the  top  of  the  ridge  they 
obtained  a  fair  view  of  the  entire  property.  Jacob 
sat  upon  a  boulder,  lit  a  cigarette  and  contemplated 
it  thoughtfully.     He  confessed  himself  puzzled. 

They  look  wrong  'uns,  those  two,"  he  observed, 
but  this  land  's  all  right,  Dauncey.     It 's  a  capital 
building  site." 

Dauncey  plucked  at  his  lower  lip. 

"  I  don't  know  anything  about  property,"  he  ad- 
mitted. "  Never  owned  a  yard  of  land  in  my  life. 
Yet  it  seems  to  me  there  must  be  a  hitch  somewhere." 

A  young  man  came  strolling  along  the  path,  ap- 
parently on  his  way  to  the  town.  Jacob  accosted 
him  politely. 

*'  Good  evening,  sir." 

"  Good  evening,"  the  other  replied,  a  little  gloom- 

"  Fine  view  here,"  Jacob  observed. 

"  Not  bad,"  the  newcomer  answered,  without  en- 
thusiasm. 

Jacob  produced  his  case,  and  the  young  man  ac- 
cepted a  cigarette. 

"  Are  you  a  resident  in  these  parts,  may  I  ask?  " 
Jacob  enquired. 

"  For  my  sins.  I  've  just  set  up  an  office  in  Crop- 
stone." 

"  Are  you,  by  any  chance,  a  lawyer.''  " 


68  JACOB'S  LADDER 

The  young  man  laughed. 

"  Do  I  carry  my  profession  about  with  me  to  that 
extent?     Yes,  I  'm  a  lawyer.     Mark  Wiseman,  my 


name  is." 


« 


Not  too  many   clients   yet,  eh?  "   Jacob  asked 
kindly. 

The  aspirant  to  legal  fame  made  a  grimace. 

"  Too  near  London." 

Jacob  looked  down  the  ridge. 

"  Fine  building  property  this  seems,"  he  observed. 

The  other  assented.     "  It 's  for  sale,  I  believe." 

*'  I  happen  to  know  that  it 's  for  sale,"  Jacob  con- 
tinued, "  and  at  a  very  low  price,  too.  What 's  the 
drawback?     The  soil  looks  all  right." 

"  The  soil 's  good,"  the  young  man  acquiesced. 
"  Everything 's  good,  I  believe.  The  great  draw- 
back is  that  it 's  just  over  three  miles  from  Crop- 
stone,  where  the  lighting  and  water  would  have  to 
come  from." 

"And  what  about  that?" 

"  They  won't  supply  it,  that 's  all." 

Jacob  pointed  to  where  an  ornamental  chimney,  a 
power  shed  and  a  gleam  of  water  appeared  on  the 
other  side  of  a  small  wood. 

"  Is  n't  there  a  private  company  there?  "  he  asked. 

"  Practically  defunct.  They  used  to  supply  Crop- 
stone,  but  the  Urban  Council  there  are  running  a 
show  of  their  own," 

Water  good?  "  Jacob  enquired. 


(« 


JACOB'S  LADDER  69 

**  I  've  never  heard  any  complaints." 

Jacob  glanced  at  his  watch. 

"  If  you  would  be  so  good  as  to  call  at  the  White 
Hart  Hotel  at  half  past  six  this  evening,"  he  said, 
*'  and  ask  for  Mr.  Jacob  Pratt,  there  is  a  small  mat- 
ter of  business  I  should  like  you  to  undertake  for  me 
in  this  neighbourhood." 

The  young  lawyer's  alacrity  was  not  to  be  mis- 
taken. 

"  I  will  be  there  without  fail,"  he  promised. 

At  eleven  o'clock  precisely,  the  next  morning,  Mr. 
Dane  IMontague  presented  himself  for  the  second 
time  at  Jacob's  offices,  accompanied  this  time  by  a 
smaller,  darker  and  glossier  duplicate  of  himself, 
whom  he  introduced  as  Mr.  Sharpe,  his  solicitor. 
Jacob  did  not  keep  them  long  in  suspense. 

"  I  have  inspected  the  Cropstone  Wood  Estate," 
he  announced,  "  and  I  am  willing  to  advance  the 
twenty  thousand  pounds  for  its  purchase." 

Mr.  Montague  moistened  his  already  too  rubicund 
lips. 

"  I  felt  certain  that  you  would  not  neglect  such 
an  opportunit}',"  he  said. 

"  The  profits  on  the  sale  of  the  land  in  lots,"  Jacob 
continued,  "  are,  I  presume,  to  be  divided  equally 
amongst  the  three  of  us.  As  regards  the  houses 
whicli  Mr.  Littlcham  proposes  to  build,  I  will  advance 
whatever  money  is  necessary  for  these,  on  mortgage, 


70  JACOB'S  LADDER 

at  six  per  cent  interest,  but  the  profit  on  the  sale  of 
these  I  should  expect  to  divide." 

Mr.  Montague  showed  some  signs  of  haste. 

"  I  don't  object,"  he  assented  suavely.  "  Little- 
ham  and  I  will  take  the  other  half.  It  is  a  great  re- 
lief to  me  to  get  this  matter  settled  quickly,"  he  con- 
tinued, "  as  I  have  an  exceedingly  busy  day.  There 
just  remains  one  rather  important  point,  Mr.  Pratt. 
My  offer  of  the  property  expires  to-morrow,  and  the 
vendors  might  or  might  not  be  disposed  to  extend  the 
time.  In  any  case,  it  would  be  better  not  to  ask 
them.  Would  it  be  possible  to  clinch  this  matter 
to-day?" 

"  Bring  your  agreement  here,"  Jacob  directed,  "  at 
three  o'clock,  and  I  will  give  you  my  cheque  for  the 
amount." 

Mr.  Sharpe  reached  for  his  hat. 

"  I  can  manage  it,"  he  said,  in  reply  to  a  look  f  ronn 
Montague,  "  but  I  shall  have  to  get  along  at  once." 

At  a  quarter  past  three  that  afternoon,  Jacob 
wrote  his  cheque  for  twenty  thousand  pounds,  re- 
ceived a  signed  copy  of  the  agreement  with  Messrs. 
Littleham  and  Montague,  and  sat  by  himself,  whis- 
tling softly  and  listening  to  their  retreating  foot- 
steps. Dauncey  came  in,  a  few  moments  later,  with  a 
perplexed  frown  upon  his  forehead. 

"  Please  may  I  look  through  the  agreement.''  "  he 
begged. 


JACOB'S   LADDER  71 

Jacob  passed  it  over  to  him.  He  read  it  through 
slowly  and  carefully. 

"  Anything  troubling  you?  "  Jacob  asked. 

I  don't  know  what  it  is,"  Dauncey  confessed. 
The  agreement  seems  all  right,  but  I  saw  their  faces 
when  I  let  'em  out.  I  can't  see  the  flaw,  Jacob,  but 
it 's  not  an  honest  deal.  They  've  got  something  up 
their  sleeve." 

Jacob  smiled. 

"  Perhaps  you  're  right,  Dick,"  he  answered. 
"  An^^way,  lock  the  agreement  up  in  the  safe  and 
don't  worry." 


CHAPTER    VII 

Jacob  found  life,  for  the  next  few  months,  an  easy 
and  a  pleasant  thing.  He  took  a  prolonged  summer 
holiday  and  made  many  acquaintances  at  a  fashion- 
able French  watering  place,  where  he  devoted  more 
time  to  golf  than  gambling,  but  made  something  of  a 
reputation  at  both  pursuits.  He  came  back  to  Lon- 
don bronzed  and  in  excellent  health,  but  always  with 
a  curious  sense  of  something  wanting  in  his  life,  an 
emptiness  of  purpose,  which  he  could  never  altogether 
shake  off.  He  was  a  liberal  patron  of  the  theatres, 
but  he  had  no  inclinations  towards  theatrical  society, 
or  the  easy  Bohemian  circles  amongst  which  he  would 
have  been  such  a  welcome  disciple.  He  was  brought 
into  contact  with  a  certain  number  of  wealthy  men  in 
the  city,  who  occasionally  asked  him  to  their  homes, 
but  here  again  he  was  conscious  of  disappointment. 
He  enjoyed  wine,  cigars  and  good  food,  but  he  re- 
quired with  them  the  leaven  of  good  company  and 
good  fellowship,  which  somehow  or  other  seemed  to 
evade  him.  Dauncey  remained  his  chief  and  most  ac- 
ceptable companion,  a  rejuvenated  Dauncey,  who  had 


JACOB'S  LADDER  73 

developed  a  dry  fund  of  humour,  a  brightness  of  eye 
and  speech  wholly  transforming.  There  were  many 
others  who  offered  him  friendship,  but  Jacob's  natu- 
ral shrewdness  seemed  only  to  have  increased  with  his 
access  of  prosperity,  and  he  became  almost  morbidly 
conscious  of  the  attractions  to  others  of  his  ever- 
growing wealth.  He  had  joined  a  club  of  moderate 
standing,  where  he  met  a  certain  number  of  men  with 
whom  he  was  at  times  content  to  exchange  amenities. 
He  had  a  very  comfortable  flat  in  the  Milan  Court, 
a  country  cottage  at  Marlingden,  now  his  own  prop- 
erty, with  a  largely  increased  rose  garden,  and  half 
an  acre  of  forcing  houses,  over  which  domain  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Harris  reigned  supreme.  He  possessed  a 
two-seater  Rolls-Royce,  which  was  the  envy  of  all  his 
acquaintances,  and  a  closed  car  of  the  same  make. 
He  belonged  to  a  very  good  golf  club  near  London, 
where  he  usually  spent  his  week-ends,  and  his  handi- 
cap was  rapidly  diminishing.  And  he  had  managed 
to  preserve  entirely  his  bland  simplicity  of  manner. 
Not  a  soul  amongst  his  acquaintance,  unless  specially 
informed,  would  have  singled  him  out  as  a  millionaire. 
It  was  about  six  months  after  his  first  visit  from 
Mr.  Dane  Montague,  when  Dauncey  one  morning 
brought  in  a  card  to  his  chief.  Jacob  was  no  longer 
under  the  necessity  of  resorting  to  imaginary  labours 
on  such  occasions.  There  were  tiers  of  black  boxes 
around  the  room,  reaching  to  tlie  ceiling,  on  which 
were  painted  in  white  letters  —  The  Cropstone  Wood 


74  JACOB'S  LADDER 

Estates  Company,  Limited.  There  were  two  clerks 
in  the  outside  office,  in  addition  to  an  office  boy. 

*'  Young  lady  to  see  you,"  Dauncey  announced 
quietly. 

Jacob  glanced  at  the  card  and  forgot  all  about  the 
Cropstone  Wood  Estates  Company,  Limited.  His 
fingers  shook,  and  he  looked  anxiously  at  his  secre- 
tary. 

"  Did  she  ask  for  me  by  name?  " 

"  No.  She  asked  for  the  Chairman  of  the  Com- 
pany." 

"  You  don't  think  she  knows  who  I  am,  then?  " 

"  From  her  manner,  I  should  imagine  not,"  Daun- 
cey replied.  "  As  a  matter  of  fact,  she  asked  first  to 
whom  she  should  apply  for  information  respecting  the 
Company.  I  thought  you  might  like  to  see  her  your- 
self, so  I  told  her  the  Chairman." 

"  Quite  right,"  Jacob  approved.  "  Show  her  in 
and  be  careful  not  to  mention  my  name." 

Jacob's  precaution  was  obviously  a  wise  one.  The 
young  lady  who  was  presently  ushered  into  the  office 
paused  abruptly  as  she  recognised  him.  Her  ex- 
pression was  first  incredulous,  then  angry.  She 
turned  as  though  to  leave. 

"  Miss  Bultiwell,"  Jacob  said  calmly,  as  he  rose  to 
his  feet,  "  I  understand  that  you  desire  information 
respecting  the  Cropstone  Wood  Estates.  I  am 
Chairman  of  the  Company  and  entirely  at  your  ser- 
\'ice." 


JACOB'S  LADDER  75 

She  hesitated  for  a  moment,  then  shrugged  her 
shoulders,  swung  across  the  room,  and  threw  herself 
into  the  client's  chair  with  a  touch  of  that  insolent 
grace  which  he  had  always  so  greatly  admired. 

"  I  had  no  idea  whom  I  was  coming  to  see,"  she  told 
him. 

"  Or  you  would  not  have  come.''  " 

"  I  most  certainly  should  not." 

The  light  died  from  his  eyes.  He  felt  the  chill  of 
her  cold,  contemptuous  tone. 

"  Can  you  not  remember,"  he  suggested,  "  that  you 
are  here  to  see  an  official  connected  with  the  Crop- 
stone  Wood  Estates  Company  and  forget  the  other 
association?  " 

"  I  shall  try,"  she  agreed.  "  If  I  had  not  made  up 
my  mind  to  do  that,  I  should  have  walked  straight 
out  of  your  office  directly  I  recognised  you." 

"  You  will  pardon  my  saying,"  he  ventured,  "  that 
I  consider  your  attitude  unnecessarily  censorious." 

She  ignored  his  remark  and  turned  to  the  business 
in  hand. 

"  My  mother  and  I,"  she  said,  "  have  of  course  left 
the  Manor  House.  We  are  in  lodgings  now  and  look- 
ing for  a  permanent  abode  near  London.  The  idea 
of  a  residence  at  Cropstone  Wood  appeals  to  my 
mother.     She  has  friends  in  the  neighborhood." 

Jacob  inclined  his  head. 

"  I  assure  you  the  Estate  is  everything  that  we 
claim  for  it." 


76  JACOB'S   LADDER 

"  Most  of  the  enquiries  I  have  made  have  been  sat- 
isfactorily answered,"  she  admitted.  "  I  have  found 
only  one  person  who  has  had  any  criticism  to  make. 
He  says  that,  before  buying  property  there,  one 
ought  to  have  definite  information  about  the  water 
and  lighting." 

"  He  is  a  very  sensible  man,"  Jacob  agreed. 

"  I  have  come  here  to  ask  about  them." 

"  The  water  and  lighting,"  Jacob  announced,  "  will 
be  undertaken  by  the  Cropstone  Wood,  Water  and 
Electric  Light  Company,  a  private  enterprise  close 
at  hand.  The  charges  will  be  normal  and  the  supply 
adequate." 

"  Thank  you,"  the  girl  said.  "  If  you  are  sure  of 
that  it  is  all  I  came  to  ascertain." 

She  rose  to  her  feet.  Jacob  was  desperately  un- 
willing to  let  her  go. 

"  Any  direct  transactions,  of  course,  are  under- 
taken with  the  city  office,"  he  explained,  "  but  if  you 
will  accept  a  letter  from  me  to  the  manager,  he  will 
see  that  your  application  is  promptly  dealt  with,  and 
that  you  have  all  the  choice  of  site  that  is  possible. 
There  is,  as  you  may  know,  a  great  demand  for  the 
land." 

"  Thank  you,"  she  replied,  "  I  will  not  trouble 
you." 

"  Then  again,"  he  went  on,  "  there  is  the  ques- 
tion of  whether  you  want  simply  to  buy  the  land  and 
employ  your  own  builder,  or  place  the  contract  with 


JACOB'S  LADDER  77 

Littleham,  who  has  an  office  on  the  Estate.  My  ad- 
vice to  you  woiJd  be  to  go  to  Littleham.  He  can 
show  you  a  dozen  plans  of  various  sized  residences, 
he  has  a  stock  of  material  close  at  hand  —  " 

"  I  am  very  much  obliged,"  she  interrupted.  "  My 
mother  and  I  have  already  decided  upon  one  of  Mr. 
Littleham's  cottages.  It  was  simply  because  we 
found  his  answers  as  regards  the  water  and  electric 
lighting  a  little  indefinite,  that  I  decided  to  come  to 
you." 

"  Indefinite?  "  Jacob  murmured. 

"  Yes.  He  told  us  that  the  water  and  lighting 
were  to  be  supplied  by  the  private  company  you 
spoke  of,  but  he  seemed  to  have  no  idea  as  to  what 
price  they  would  be  likely  to  charge." 

Jacob  inclined  his  head  thoughtfully. 

"  I  think  you  may  rest  assured,"  he  told  her,  "  that 
the  charge  will  be  normal." 

She  turned  away. 

"  You  have  given  me  the  information  I  require," 
she  said.  "  Thank  you  once  more,  and  good  morn- 
ing." 

Jacob  lost  his  head  for  a  moment.  It  was  im- 
possible to  let  her  drift  away  like  this. 

"  Miss  Bultiwell,"  he  protested,  "  you  are  very 
hard  on  me.  I  wish  you  would  allow  me  a  few  words 
of  explanation.  Will  3^ou  —  will  you  lunch  with 
me?  " 

She  looked  him  up  and  down,  and  not  even  the  con- 


78  JACOB'S  LADDER 

sciousness  of  those  well-chosen  and  suitable  clothes, 
of  his  very  handsome  bachelor  flat  at  the  Milan,  his 
wonderful  Rolls-Royce,  and  his  summer  retreat  at 
Marlingden,  with  its  acre  of  roses,  helped  him  to  re- 
tain an  atom  of  self-confidence.  He  was  no  longer 
the  man  to  whom  the  finger  of  envy  pointed.  The 
glance  withered  him  as  though  he  had  indeed  been  a 
criminal. 

"  Certainly  not,"  she  answered. 

She  made  her  way  towards  the  door,  and  Jacob 
watched  her  helplessly.  In  her  plain  tweed  coat  and 
skirt,  her  sensible  but  homely  shoes,  her  cheap  little 
grey  tam-o'-shanter  hat,  with  its  single  yellow  quill, 
she  was  just  as  attractive  as  she  had  been  in  the  days 
when  the  first  modiste  in  London  had  taken  a  pride 
in  dressing  her.  She  reached  the  door  and  passed  out 
before  Jacob  had  been  able  to  make  up  his  mind  to 
step  forward  and  open  it  for  her.  He  gazed  at  the 
spot  where  she  had  disappeared,  with  blank  face  and 
unseeing  eyes.  Suddenly  the  door  was  reopened  and 
closed  again.  She  came  towards  him  very  deliber- 
ately. 

"  Mr.  Pratt,"  she  said,  "  I  am  a  very  selfish  and  a 
very  greedy  person.  I  have  lunched  most  days,  for 
the  last  three  months,  at  an  A.  B.  C.  shop  opposite 
the  office  where  I  am  working,  and  I  hate  the  food  and 
everything  about  that  sort  of  place.  If  I  accept 
your  invitation,  will  you  allow  me  to  order  exactly 
what  I  please,  and  remember  that  it  is  sheer  greed 


JACOB'S  LADDER  79 

which  induces  me  even  to  sit  down  in  the  same  room 
with  you?  " 

Jacob  sighed  as  he  rose  and  stretched  out  his  hand 
for  his  hat. 

"  Come  on  any  terms  you  please,"  he  answered, 
with  eager  humihty. 


CHAPTER    VIII 

Miss  Sybil  Bultiwell  showed  that  she  had  a  verj 
pretty  taste  in  food  even  if  her  weaknesses  in  other 
directions  were  undiscoverable.  Seated  at  a  table 
for  two  in  Jacob's  favourite  corner  at  the  Ritz  grill- 
room, she  ordered  langouste  with  mayonnaise,  a 
French  chicken  with  salad,  an  artichoke,  a  vanilla 
ice,  and  some  wonderful  forced  strawberries.  She 
drank  a  cocktail  and  shared  to  a  moderate  extent 
the  bottle  of  very  excellent  dry  champagne  which  her 
companion  insisted  upon.  The  aloofness  of  her  gen- 
eral attitude  was  naturally  modified  a  little,  in  defer- 
ence to  appearances,  but  at  no  time  did  she  give 
Jacob  the  slightest  hope  of  breaking  down  the  barrier 
of  icy  reserve  with  which  she  had  chosen  to  surround 
herself.  He  made  one  great  effort  about  midway 
through  the  meal. 

"  Miss  Bultiwell,"  he  said,  "  when  I  visited  once  at 
the  Manor  House  —  the  first  time  it  was,  I  think  — 
jou  were  very  kind  to  me." 

"  I  have  forgotten  the  circumstance." 

*'  I  have  not.     I  never  could.     I  remember  that  I 


JACOB'S  LADDER  81 

arrived  on  a  bicycle,  very  hot  and  somewhat  —  er  — 
inappropriately  dressed.  Your  father,  who  had  in- 
vited me  over  because  at  that  time  I  was  a  useful  busi- 
ness connection,  took  no  particular  pains  to  set  me 
at  my  ease.  I  was  very  uncomfortable.  You  were 
exceedingly  kind  to  me  that  evening." 

"  Was  I?  "  she  asked  indifferently. 

Jacob  took  a  sip  of  champagne  and  went  on  val- 
iantly. 

"  I  had  never  met  any  one  like  you  before.  I 
have  never  met  any  one  like  you  since.  Why  should 
you  treat  me  as  though  I  were  something  entirely 
contemptible,  because  I  refused  to  accept  your 
father's  fraudulent  balance  sheet  and  put  money  into 
a  ruined  business  ?  " 

Sybil's  blue  eyes,  which,  as  he  knew,  alas !  too  well, 
were  capable  of  holding  such  sweet  and  tender  lights, 
flashed  upon  him  with  a  single  moment's  anger. 

"  I  had  hoped,"  she  said  severely,  "  that  you  would 
have  had  the  good  taste  to  avoid  this  subject.  Since 
you  have  opened  it,  however,  let  me  remind  you  that 
I  am  a  woman,  and  that  feelings  count  for  far  more 
with  me  than  arguments.  You  may  have  been  per- 
fectly justified  in  what  you  did.  At  the  same  time, 
you  were  the  immediate  cause  of  the  tragedy  sur- 
rounding my  father's  death.  For  that  I  shall  never 
forgive  you." 

"  It  does  n't  seem  quite  fair,  does  it.'*  "  he  com- 
plained, with  a  strange  little  quiver  of  his  underlip. 


82  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  Women  seldom  are  fair  in  their  likes  and  dis- 
likes," she  pronounced.  "  I  hope  you  will  not  pur- 
sue the  subject." 

"  Is  it  permitted  to  ask  you  any  questions  with  re- 
gard to  your  present  avocation?  "  he  ventured,  a  few 
minutes  later. 

"  I  have  no  objection  to  telling  you  what  I  am  do- 
ing," she  replied.  "  I  am  taking  a  course  of  short- 
hand and  typewriting  at  an  office  in  Fleet  Street." 

The  horror  of  it  chilled  Jacob  to  the  very  soul. 
He  had  only  that  morning  received  a  cheque  from 
his  brother  for  an  unexpected  bonus,  which  amounted 
to  more  than  she  would  ever  be  able  to  earn  in  the 
whole  course  of  her  life. 

"  Is  that  absolutely  necessary?  "  he  asked. 

"  We  have  two  hundred  a  year  between  us,  my 
mother  and  I,"  she  answered  drily.  "  Perhaps  you 
can  understand  that  an  extra  two  or  three  pounds 
a  week  is  desirable." 

"  Damn !  "  Jacob  muttered,  under  his  breath. 

"  I  really  don't  see  why  you  should  be  profane," 
she  remonstrated. 

"  It 's  too  absurd,  your  going  out  to  work,"  he  in- 
sisted. "  I  had  business  connections  in  the  old  days 
with  the  house  of  Bultiwell,  by  which  I  profited. 
Why  cannot  I  be  allowed,  out  of  the  money  I  can't 
ever  dream  of  spending,  to  settle  —  " 

"  If  you  are  going  to  be  impertinent,"  she  inter- 
rupted coolly,  "  I  shall  get  up  and  go  out." 


JACOB'S  LADDER  83 

Jacob  groaned  and  cast  about  in  liis  mind  for  a 
less  intimate  topic  of  conversation.  The  subject  of 
theatre-going  naturally  presented  itself.  A  momen- 
tary gleam  of  regret  passed  across  her  face  as  she 
answered  his  questions. 

"  Yes,  I  remember  telling  you  how  fond  I  always 
was  of  first  nights,"  she  admitted.  "  Nowadays,  nat- 
urally, we  do  not  go  to  the  theatre  at  all.  M}'- 
mother  and  I  live  very  quietly." 

Jacob  cleared  his  throat. 

"  If,"  he  suggested,  "  a  box  at  the  theatre  could  be 
accepted  on  the  same  terms  as  this  luncheon  —  for 
your  mother  and  you,  I  mean,"  he  went  on  hastily, 
"  I  am  always  having  them  given  me.  I  'd  keep  out 
of  the  way.  Or  we  might  have  a  little  dinner  first. 
Your  mother  —  " 

"  Absolutely  impossible !  "  she  interrupted  ruth- 
lessly. "  I  really  feel  quite  ashamed  enough  of  my- 
self, as  it  is.  I  know  that  I  have  not  the  slightest 
right  to  accept  your  very  delicious  luncheon." 

"  You  could  pay  for  anything  in  the  world  I  could 
give  you,  with  a  single  kind  word,"  he  ventured. 

She  sighed  as  she  drew  on  her  gloves. 

"  I  have  no  feeling  of  kindness  towards  you,  Mr. 
Pratt,"  she  said,  "  and  I  hate  hypocrisy.  I  thank 
you  very  much  for  your  luncheon.  You  will  forgive 
my  shaking  hands,  won't  you?  It  was  scarcely  in 
the  bargain.  And  I  must  say  good-by  now.  I  am 
due  back  at  the  office  at  half-past  two." 


84  JACOB'S   LADDER 

So  Jacob  derived  ver}^  little  real  pleasure  from  this 
trip  into  an  imaginary  Paradise,  although  many  a 
time  he  went  over  their  conversation  in  his  mind,  try- 
ing to  find  the  slenderest  peg  on  which  he  could  hang 
a  few  threads  of  hope.  He  rang  up  the  city  office 
and  made  sure  that  Miss  Bultiwell  should  be  offered 
the  most  desirable  plot  of  land  left,  at  the  most  rea- 
sonable price,  after  which  he  invited  Dauncey,  who 
was  waiting  impatiently  for  an  interview,  to  take  an 
easy-chair,  and  passed  him  his  favourite  box  of 
cigars. 

"  What  is  it,  Dick?  "  he  demanded.  "  Why  bring 
thunderclouds  into  my  sunny  presence?  " 

"Not  quite  so  sunny  as  usual,  is  it?  "  Dauncey 
remarked  sympathetically.  "  How  is  Miss  Bulti- 
well? " 

"  She  is  taking  a  course  of  shorthand  and  typing," 
Jacob  groaned. 

"  That  seems  harmless  enough.  Why  should  n't 
she?  " 

"  Don't  be  a  fool,"  Jacob  answered  crossly.  "  Do 
you  realise  that  my  income  is  nearly  fifty  thousand  a 
year,  and  she  has  to  grind  in  a  miserable  office,  in 
order  to  be  able  to  earn  two  or  three  pounds  a  week 
to  provide  her  mother  with  small  luxuries  ?  " 

"  From  what  I  remember  of  Miss  Bultiwell,  I  don't 
think  it  will  do  her  any  harm,"  Dauncey  remarked 
doggedly. 

"  You  're  an  unfeeling  brute,"  Jacob  declared. 


JACOB'S   LADDER  85 

Dauncey  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  Perhaps  so,"  he  agreed.  "  I  don't  suppose  I 
should  like  her  any  better  if  she  came  and  ate  out  of 
your  hand." 

"  You  must  admit  that  she  shows  a  fine,  independ- 
ent spirit,"  Jacob  insisted. 

"  Bultiwell  obstinacy,  I  call  it !  " 

Jacob  knocked  the  ash  from  his  cigar. 

"  Dick,"  he  asked  quietly,  "  is  there  any  sense  in 
two  men  arguing  about  a  girl,  when  one  is  in  love  with 
her  and  the  other  is  n't?  " 

*'  None  at  all,"  Dauncey  agreed. 

"  Then  shut  up  and  tell  me  what  horrible  tragedy 
you  've  stumbled  upon.  You  Ve  something  to  say 
to  me,  have  n't  you  ?  " 

Dauncey  nodded. 

"  It 's  about  Montague  and  Littleham.  I  have 
discovered  the  fly  in  the  ointment.  I  thought  those 
two  would  never  be  content  with  a  reasonable  land 
speculation." 

"  Proceed,"  Jacob  said  encouragingly. 

"  Most  of  the  idiots  who  bought  these  plots  of 
land,"  Dauncey  continued,  "  were  content  to  know 
that  the  Cropstone  Wood,  Water  and  Electric  Light 
Company  was  in  existence  and  had  commenced  the 
work  of  connecting  them  up.  Not  one  of  them  had 
the  sense  to  find  out  what  they  were  going  to  pay  for 
their  water  and  lighting." 

"  Ah ! " 


86  JACOB'S   LADDER 

"  I  've  just  discovered,"  Dauncey  continued,  "  that 
Dane  Montague  and  Littleham  have  an  option  on  the 
Water  and  Electric  Light  Company.  I  don't  sup- 
pose they  said  a  word  to  you  about  that.  You  found 
the  money  to  buy  the  land,  all  right,  bat  they  're  go- 
ing to  make  the  bulk  of  the  profit  out  of  the  water 
and  lighting.  That  young  lawyer  at  Cropstone  gave 
us  a  word  of  warning,  you  remember,  the  day  we  were 
over  there." 

"  So  he  did,"  Jacob  murmured  reflectively.  "  I 
was  a  mug." 

"  Not  only  that,"  Dauncey  reminded  him,  "  but 
some  of  the  people  who  've  bought  the  land  are  your 
friends,  are  n't  they?     What  about  Miss  Bultiwell?  " 

Jacob  knitted  his  brows. 

"  I  don't  fancy  the  company  will  be  able  to  charge 
whatever  they  like,"  he  argued.  "  There  are  some 
restrictions  —  " 

"  They  've  got  an  old  charter  which  has  another 
fourteen  years  to  run,"  Dauncey  interrupted.  "  As 
they  've  made  a  loss  ever  since  they  've  been  in  busi- 
ness, there 's  nothing  to  prevent  their  recouping 
themselves  now,  on  paper,  by  charging  practically 
whatever  they  like.  I  warned  you  not  to  have  any- 
thing to  do  with  those  fellows." 

"  I  was  an  ass,"  Jacob  admitted. 

The  critical  note  vanished  from  Dauncey's  tone. 
He  laid  his  hand  upon  his  friend's  shoulder. 

"  It  was  n't  your  fault,  Jacob,"  he  said.     "  We 


JACOB'S   LADDER  87 

shall  prove  that  you  were  never  interested  in  the  op- 
tion and  knew  nothing  about  it.  As  for  Miss  Bulti- 
well,  it  won't  hurt  you  if  you  have  to  take  that  bit  of 
land  off  her  hands." 

Jacob  shook  his  friend's  hand. 

"  Thank  you,  Dick." 

"  And  I  should  tackle  those  fellows  at  once,  if  I 
were  you,"  Dauncey  added.  "  No  good  letting  the 
matter  drag  on.  Ask  them  what  they  're  going  to 
charge.  Say  that  one  or  two  of  the  tenants  have 
been  making  enquiries." 

"  I  will." 

"  It 's  a  dirty  business  all  round,"  Dauncey  de- 
clared. *'  They  made  you  advance  the  whole  of  the 
money  to  buy  the  land,  and  they  saved  their  bit  for 
the  waterworks  and  lighting  company.  It 's  as 
plain  as  a  pikestaff  why  they  did  n't  let  you  in  on 
that.  They  knew  perfectly  well  that  you  'd  never 
be  a  party  to  such  a  low-down  scheme  as  they  had  in 


view." 


Jacob  swung  round  to  his  desk  with  an  air  of  de- 
termination. 

"  I  '11  tackle  them  within  the  next  few  days,"  he 
promised. 


CHAPTER    IX 

The  opportunity  for  an  explanation  between 
Jacob  and  his  fellow  speculators  speedily  presented 
itself.  Amongst  his  letters,  on  the  following  morn- 
ing, Jacob  found  a  somewhat  pompous  little  note 
from  Dane  Montague,  inviting  him  to  lunch  at  the 
Milan  at  half-past  one.  Littleham,  supremely  un- 
comfortable in  a  new  suit  of  clothes,  was  the  other 
guest,  and  champagne  was  served  before  the  three 
men  had  well  taken  their  places. 

"A  celebration,  eh?"  Jacob  observed,  as  he 
bowed  to  his  two  hosts. 

Mr.  Montague  cleared  his  throat. 

"  Our  meeting  might  almost  be  considered  in  that 
light,"  he  admitted.  "  Yesterday  afternoon  we 
sold  the  last  plot  of  land  on  the  Cropstone  Wood 
Estate." 

"Capital!"    Jacob    exclaimed.      "Full    price.?" 

"  Sixpence  a  yard  over." 

Jacob  nodded  approval. 

"  By  the  bye,"  he  said,  "  I  see  that  the  Water  Com- 
pany is  getting  on  very  well  with  its  connections. 


JACOB'S   LADDER  89 

They  must  have  several  hundred  men  at  work  there." 

Mr.  Montague  appeared  a  httle  startled. 

"  Well,  well !  At  any  rate  we  shall  be  able  to  keep 
our  word.  Electric  light  and  water  will  be  ready  for 
every  house  as  it  is  built." 

"  Tliat  reminds  me  of  a  question  I  was  going  to 
ask  you,"  Jacob  went  on.  "  What  price  are  we  going 
to  charge  for  the  electric  light?  " 

"  "Wliat  price?  "  Montague  murmured,  balancing  a 
knife  upon  his  forefinger  and  watching  it  medita- 
tively. 

*'  The  Company  'U  have  to  fix  that  amongst  them- 
selves," Littleham  declared  brusquely. 

"  One  or  two  of  the  people  who  've  bought  plots 
have  made  enquiries,"  Jacob  continued,  without  no- 
ticing the  last  speaker.  "  I  think  they  've  begun  to 
realise  that  they  're  pretty  well  at  our  mercy  —  or 
rather  at  the  mercy  of  the  Compan3\" 

"  Well,  that 's  not  our  business,  anyway,"  Mon- 
tague replied  evasively.  "  I  dare  say  it  will  be  rather 
an  expensive  affair,  connecting  them  all  up." 

Jacob  smiled  knowingh\ 

"  No  need   for  us   to  bluff  one   another,"  he   re- 
marked, dropping  his  voice  a  little.     "  We  all  thre^ 
know  what  's  in  front  of  those  unfortunate  tenant 
Serv'cs  'em  right  for  trying  to  buy  the  land  too  c^';^ 
By  the  bye,  Montague,  there's  no  mistake  about  ts;. 
option?  " 

Mr.  Montague  coughed. 


90  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  None  at  all,"  he  answered. 

"  When  do  you  want  my  share  of  the  purchase 
money?  " 

Mr.  Dane  Montague  and  his  friend  exchanged 
surreptitious  glances. 

"  Presently  .  .  .  presently,"  the  former  replied. 
*'  The  option  does  n't  expire  for  two  months  yet.  But 
there  is  another  little  matter  concerning  which  Little- 
ham  and  I  have  a  proposition  to  make  to  you." 

"  Go  ahead,"  Jacob  invited. 

"  Every  plot  of  land  on  the  Cropstone  Wood  Es- 
tate has  now  been  sold,"  Montague  continued.  "  The 
purchase  price  provided  by  you  was  twenty  thousand 
pounds.  The  land  has  been  sold  for  thirty-five  thou- 
sand, of  which  sum  twenty  per  cent  has  been  re- 
ceived." 

"  Precisely,"  Jacob  agreed.  "  We  have  fifteen 
thousand  pounds,  less  expenses  and  interest,  to  divide 
between  the  three  of  us  as  the  money  comes  in." 

"  In  the  ordinary  course  of  events,"  Mr.  Montague 
proceeded,  "  it  will  no  doubt  be  a  year  at  least  before 
the  depositors  will  have  paid  up  in  full  and  a  correct 
balance  can  be  arrived  at.  Now  Littleham  and  I  are 
scarcely  in  j'our  position.  We  need  to  turn  our 
money  over  quickly.  We  therefore  make  to  you  the 
following  proposition.  Let  the  accounts  be  made  out 
at  once,  allow  six  per  cent  interest  upon  all  sums  still 
owing  from  depositors,  give  us  a  cheque  for  the  whole 
amount  of  our  shares  on  that  basis,  and  Littleham 


JACOB'S  LADDER  91 

and  I  are  willing  to  pay  you  five  hundred  pounds 
each  for  the  accommodation." 

"  A  dissolution  of  partnership,  in  fact?  " 

"  Precisely,"  Montague  assented, 

*'  There  's  the  taking  over  of  the  Electric  Light  and 
Water  Company,"  Jacob  remarked  reflectively.  "  I 
suppose  you  want  that  kept  entirely  separate." 

Montague  coughed. 

"  Entirely,"  he  agreed. 

"  Supposing  some  of  the  purchasers  should  fail  to 
make  good  their  deposits?  " 

"  Then  the  deposit  would  belong  to  you,"  Mon- 
tague pointed  out,  "  and  the  land  could  be  resold 
elsewhere." 

"  Plenty  of  applicants  for  the  land  still,"  Little- 
ham  interposed  gruffly. 

Jacob  sipped  his  champagne  and  found  it  excellent. 

"  Very  well,"  he  assented,  "  make  it  fifteen  hundred 
between  you  and  I  '11  take  the  whole  thing  over.".   .   . 

Mr.  Montague  and  his  companion  sat  for  an  hour 
over  another  bottle  of  wine  after  their  guest  had  de- 
parted. The  faces  of  both  were  flushed  and  their 
voices  were  a  little  husky,  but  they  were  filled  with 
the  complacency  of  men  who  have  come  out  on  the 
right  side  of  a  deal.  Only  Mr.  Montague,  every  now 
and  then,  gave  voice  to  some  faint  regret. 

"  He  's  such  a  prize  mug,  James,"  he  said.  "  It 
seems  a  shame  we  could  n't  have  handled  him  for 
something  bigger." 


92  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"What  are  you  grumbling  at?"  Mr.  Littleham 
replied,  letting  loose  another  button  of  his  waistcoat. 
"  We  're  getting  four  thou  apiece  profit  on  the  sale  of 
the  land,  and  he  's  standing  the  racket  for  all  of  'em 
who  don't  pay  up,  and  there  '11  be  a  good  few  more  of 
them  than  he  fancies.  Then  by  this  time  next  week 
we  can  take  up  our  option  on  the  Cropstone  Wood, 
Water  and  Electric  Light  Company,  and  if  Mr. 
Jacob  Pratt  thinks  he  's  in  on  that  deal,  he  's  making 
the  mistake  of  his  life.  I  ain't  surprised  so  much  at 
the  land  purchasers,"  the  builder  went  on  reflectively. 
*'  They  're  all  the  same.  They  buy  a  plot  of  land, 
and  they  think  the  Lord  will  send  them  gas  and  water 
and  that  sort  of  thing,  and  that  the  price  is  fixed  by 
Act  of  Parliament  and  they  can't  be  diddled.  But  a 
man  like  Pratt,  laying  out  the  money  he  has,  and 
simply  knowing  that  there  was  a  water  and  elec- 
tric light  plant  on  which  you  and  I  had  an  option, 
and  imagining  we  should  take  him  in  without  an 
agreement  or  even  a  letter  —  take  him  in  on  a  propo- 
sition likely  to  pay  at  least  thirty  per  cent  —  well, 
it 's  a  fair  knockout !  " 

"  We  ought  to  have  made  our  fortunes  out  of  a  jay 
like  that,"  Mr.  Montague  agreed,  with  a  shade  of 
sadness  in  his  tone. 

About  a  fortnight  later,  two  very  agitated  looking 
visitors  burst  precipitately  into  Jacob's  outer  office. 
Mr.  Montague's  complexion  was  of  that  pasty  hue 


JACOB'S  LADDER  93 

described  as  chalky  white.  He  was  breathing  heavily, 
and  he  had  lost  all  that  nice  precision  of  speech  in- 
tended to  convey  the  suggestion  that  in  his  leisure 
hours  he  was  a  man  of  culture.  Mr.  Littleham  was 
still  more  out  of  breath.  His  necktie  had  disap- 
peared around  his  neck,  and  beads  of  perspiration 
were  standing  out  upon  his  forehead. 

"  Where  's  the  guv'nor.''  "  Mr.  Montague  almost 
shouted. 

"  Boss  in.'*  "  Mr.  Littleham  demanded  simultane- 
ously. 

Dauncey  rose  from  his  seat  and  eyed  the  visitors 
coldly. 

"  Have  you  an  appointment  with  Mr.  Pratt.?  "  he 
asked. 

"  Appointment  be  damned !  "  the  builder  began. 
"  We  want  —  " 

"  Look  here,"  Mr.  Montague  interrupted,  the 
methods  of  his  race  asserting  themselves  in  his  per- 
suasive tone,  "  it  is  most  important  that  we  should  see 
Mr.  Pratt  at  once." 

"  Nothing  wrong  Cropstone  way,  is  there? " 
Dauncey  enquired.     "  I  thought  you  were  out  of  that 


now," 


"  Is  the  guv'nor  in  or  is  n't  he?  "  Littleliam  de- 
manded, mopping  his  forehead. 

Dauncey  spoke  through  an  office  telephone,  and 
after  a  very  brief  delay  threw  open  the  door  of  the 
private  office  and  ushered  in  the  two  callers.     Jacob 


94  JACOB'S   LADDER 

looked  up  from  some  papers  as  they  entered  and 
stared  at  them  a  little  blankly. 

"  Good  morning,  gentlemen,"  he  said.  "  I  thought 
we  'd  parted  companj'^  for  a  time." 

Littleham,  usually  the  silent  partner,  asserted 
himself  then.  He  pushed  the  trembling  Montague 
to  one  side  and  stood  squarely  before  the  desk. 

"  Look  here,  Pratt,"  he  demanded,  "  have  you 
bought  the  Cropstone  Wood,  Water  and  Electric 
Light  Company?  " 

"  Certainly  I  have,"  Jacob  replied.  "  What  about 
it.?  " 

"  When?  " 

*'  Oh,  within  a  few  days  of  your  first  coming  to 


me." 


"Within  a  few  days?"  Mr.  Montague  almost 
shrieked. 

Jacob  leaned  back  in  his  chair,  crossed  his  legs, 
and  glanced  with  a  momentary  satisfaction  at  his 
well-polished  brown  shoes  and  white  gaiters. 

"  My  good  friends,"  he  said,  "  you  could  scarcely 
expect  me  to  put  down  twenty  thousand  pounds  for 
land,  without  making  arrangements  for  the  water 
supply  and  lighting?  I  went  into  the  matter  with  a 
local  solicitor  and  found  that,  as  the  Company  was 
practically  moribund,  the  best  way  was  to  buy  it 
outright.  I  am  going  to  incorporate  it  with  the 
Cropstone  Wood  Estates  and  make  one  concern." 
You   bought    the   Water   Company   behind   our 


n  V, 


JACOB'S  LADDER  95 

backs  and  never  said  a  word  about  it?  "  Montague  de- 
manded thickly. 

"  Why  on  earth  should  I  say  anything  to  you?  '* 
Jacob  retorted. 

"  We  had  an  option  ourselves !  "  Littleham  thun- 
dered, striking  the  desk  with  his  clenched  fist. 

"  I  remember  your  telling  me  so,"  Jacob  observed. 
"  I  also  remember  3'our  telling  me  that  it  had  another 
two  months  to  run,  whereas  it  expires  to-morrow. 
What  I  don't  seem  to  remember,  though,  is  your  ask- 
ing me  for  my  share  of  the  contributing  money." 

Jacob  had  never  appeared  more  guileless.  The  two 
men  became  speechless  in  the  face  of  his  bland  equa- 
nimit3\      Then  Montague  cleared  his  throat. 

"  Come,  come,"  he  remonstrated,  "  no  need  for  any 
of  us  to  lose  our  tempers.  Let  us  sit  down  and  dis- 
cuss this  little  matter  like  gentlemen.  I  am  quite 
sure  Mr.  Pratt  will  do  the  square  thing.  I  propose 
that  we  adjourn  to  the  Milan.  A  bottle  of  the  old 
sort,  eh,  Pratt?  " 

Jacob  leaned  back  in  his  chair,  his  finger  tips 
pressed  together,  and  shook  his  head  sorrowfully. 

"  I  do  not  think,"  he  said,  "  that  I  shall  ever  drink 
with  either  of  you  again.  You  entered  into  a  con- 
spiracy behind  my  back  to  keep  the  Cropstone  Wood, 
Water  and  Electric  Light  Company  in  your  joint 
possession,  your  scheme  being  to  make  use  of  the  old 
charter  the  company  possessed  and  to  charge  out- 
rageous  prices   for  the  water  and  lighting.     With 


96  JACOB'S  LADDER 

that  in  view,  you  relieved  yourselves  of  your  interest 
in  the  land  at  some  sacrifice,  expecting  to  land  me 
with  the  whole  estate,  and  leaving  me  to  bear  the 
whole  brunt  of  the  complaints  and  the  failure  of  the 
depositors  to  carry  out  their  purchases.  That,  I 
believe,  is  a  fair  outline  of  your  scheme,  Messrs.  Mon- 
tague and  Littleham  —  elaborated,  mark  you,  after 
you  had  mentioned  the  matter  of  the  water  and  the 
lighting  to  me,  on  your  first  visit,  and  pointed  out 
the  additional  source  of  profit.  You  relied,  I  pre- 
sume, either  on  my  blind  confidence  in  you  or  my  bad 
memory." 

"  I  can  assure  you,  Pratt,"  Mr.  Montague  began 
piteously,  — 

"Damn!"  his  confederate  ejaculated  with  fer- 
vour. 

"  Fortunately,"  Jacob  continued,  "  I  am  not  quite 
such  a  mug  as  I  must  have  seemed  to  you.  Before  I 
parted  with  the  money  for  the  land,  I  paid  a  visit  to 
the  offices  of  the  Cropstone  Wood,  Water  and  Elec- 
tric Light  Company,  examined  your  option,  and  find- 
ing it  illegal,  as  it  was  signed  only  by  the  Chairman 
of  the  company,  without  notice  to  the  shareholders,  I 
obtained  one  in  my  own  name,  which  I  exercised 
within  a  few  hours.  I  am  now  the  sole  owner  of  the 
Cropstone  Wood,  Water  and  Electric  Light  Com- 
pany and  the  Cropstone  Wood  Estates.  Also  of  this 
office,  gentlemen,  from  which  I  beg  that  you  will  de- 
part as  quickly  as  possible." 


JACOB'S  LADDER  97 

"  I  'm  damned  if  I  stir  a  foot !  "  Littleham  de- 
clared furiously.     "  We  've  been  swindled !  " 

Jacob  struck  his  bell,  and  Dauncey  came  in  with  a 
very  grim  look  upon  his  face.  Mr.  Dane  Montague 
caught  up  his  hat  and  plucked  at  the  sleeve  of  his 
companion. 

"  You  shall  hear  from  our  solicitors,"  he  splut- 
tered. 

"  Delighted !  "  Jacob  replied.  "  I  should  keep  the 
six-and-eightpence,  though,  if  I  were  you." 

Two  very  angry  men  were  escorted  off  the  premises. 
Then  Dauncey  returned  with  a  grin  upon  his  face. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Jacob,"  he  said  humbly.  "  I 
never  dreamed  that  you  had  them  pickled.  Tell  me 
about  it?" 

"  It  was  really  very  simple,"  Jacob  explained. 
*'  They  came  to  me  with  two.  schemes,  one  legitimate, 
the  other  illegitimate.  The  legitimate  one  appealed 
to  me.  I  found  the  money,  bought  the  estate,  and 
saw  that  they  had  a  decent  profit.  As  regards  the 
illegitimate  one,  I  met  them  on  their  own  ground.  I 
got  that  young  fellow  whom  we  came  across  down  at 
Cropstone  to  look  into  the  affairs  of  the  Water  and 
Lighting  Company,  found  tliat  tlicy  were  an  abso- 
lutely moribund  concern,  bought  them  out  for  cash, 
with  the  sole  condition  of  secrecy,  and  sat  tight.  If 
Montague  and  Littleham  had  kept  their  bargain  — 
that  is  to  say  if  they  had  let  me  into  their  scheme  for 
purchasing  the  Company  —  I  should  have  told  them 


98  JACOB'S   LADDER 

the  truth,  a  few  plain  words  would  have  passed,  and 
I  should  have  compensated  them  for  their  disap- 
pointment. As  it  was,  they  tried  to  be  too  clever. 
They  tried  to  land  me  with  the  remainder  of  the 
property,  after  they  had  made  their  profit,  and 
with  the  money  I  paid  them  thej'^  were  going  to  take 
over  what  they  imagined  to  be  the  more  profitable 
side  of  the  deal,  the  Water  and  Lighting  Company, 
and  leave  me  out  of  it.  That 's  the  long  and  short 
of  it,  Dick." 

A  gleam  of  admiration  shone  in  Dauncey's  eyes. 

"  My  congratulations,  Jacob,"  he  murmured.  "  I 
have  underestimated  your  talents." 

Jacob  smiled  benevolently. 

"Dick,"  he  rejoined,  "we  haven't  yet  had  time 
to  gain  much  experience  in  the  world  of  high  finance, 
but  here  's  one  little  truism  which  you  can  take  to 
heart.  It 's  easier  to  get  the  best  of  a  rogue  than 
of  a  jay.  The  jay  as  a  rule  knows  he  's  a  jay,  and 
is  terrified  all  the  time  lest  other  people  should  find 
it  out.  The  rogue  believes  that  he  's  cleverer  than 
he  is,  and  that  other  people  are  bigger  fools  than  they 
are.   .   .   .   Shall  we  —  " 

"  By  all  means,"  Dauncey  acquiesced,  reaching 
promptly  for  his  hat. 


CHAPTER    X 

Houses  sprang  up  like  mushrooms  on  the  Crop- 
stone  Wood  Estate,  and  rents  were  soon  at  a  pre- 
mium. Mr.  Littleham's  activities  were  transferred, 
by  arrangement  with  Jacob,  to  a  builder  of  more  con- 
servative type,  and  the  Estate  speedily  became  one  of 
the  show  places  of  the  neighbourhood.  It  combined 
the  conveniences  of  a  suburb  with  the  advantages  of  a 
garden  city.  The  special  motor  omnibuses,  run  by 
the  Company,  connected  the  place  with  the  railway. 
The  telephone  company  were  induced  to  open  an  ex- 
change, and  the  Cropstone  tradespeople,  speedily 
abandoning  their  attitude  of  benevolent  indifference, 
tumbled  over  themselves  in  their  anxiety  to  obtain 
the  orders  of  the  neighbourhood.  Jacob  somewhat 
surreptitiously  furnished  a  room  for  himself  over  the 
offices  of  the  company  and,  soon  after  the  coming  of 
Mrs.  Bultiwell  and  her  daughter,  paid  a  visit  to  the 
place.  In  fear  and  trembling  he  stole  out,  after  an 
early  dinner  on  the  night  of  his  arrival,  and,  seated  on 
a  hummock  at  the  top  of  the  ridge,  looked  down  at 
the  little  colony. 


100  JACOB'S   LADDER 

It  was  not  long  before  the  expected  happened.  A 
girl  in  a  white  gown  appeared  in  the  garden  immedi- 
ately below  him,  singing  softly  to  herself  and  wielding 
a  watering  can.  Presently  she  saw  Jacob  and 
paused  in  her  task.  Jacob  raised  his  hat  and  she 
came  slowly  towards  him.  His  heart  thumped 
against  his  ribs.  He  thought  of  "  Maud  "  and  other 
sentimental  poems,  where  the  heroine  was  scornful 
and  of  high  degree,  and  the  lover  very  much  her  slave. 
Sybil  Bultiwell's  expression  was  certainly  not  en- 
couraging. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  tell  me,  Mr.  Pratt,"  she  began 
coldly?  "  that  you  are  coming  to  live  out  here  your- 
self? " 

"  No  idea  of  it,"  Jacob  hastened  to  explain,  as  he 
sprang  to  his  feet.  "  I  have  just  furnished  a  room 
over  the  office,  so  as  to  spend  a  night  or  two  here,  now 
and  then,  and  see  that  everything  is  going  on  all 
right.  A  new  enterprise  like  this  needs  a  watchful 
eye.  No  intention  of  making  a  nuisance  of  myself, 
I  can  promise  you,  Miss  Bultiwell." 

In  her  relief  she  forgot  that  the  watering  can  was 
half  full.  Jacob  stepped  quickly  backwards,  glanc- 
ing a  little  disconsolately  at  his  bespattered  trousers. 

"  I  am  exceedingly  sorry,  Mr.  Pratt,"  she  apolo- 
gised, biting  her  lip. 

"  No  consequence  at  all,"  he  assured  her.  "  My 
fault  entirely.  By  the  bye,  I  hope  you  are  quite  com- 
fortable.    No  complaints  .'* " 


JACOB'S   LADDER  101 

"  None  whatever,"  she  conceded  a  little  grudg- 
ingly- 

"  Water  supply  all  right  ?  " 

"  Quite." 

"And  the  lighting?" 

"  Excellent.  In  fact,"  the  girl  went  on  bitterly, 
"  the  place  is  a  perfect  Paradise  for  paupers  and 
people  who  have  to  earn  their  own  living." 

"  There  is  no  need  for  you  to  do  that,"  he  ven- 
tured. 

She  looked  at  him  in  most  disconcerting  fashion. 
All  the  pleasant  lights  which  lurked  sometimes  in  her 
blue  eyes  seemed  transformed  into  a  hard  stare.  Her 
eyebrows  were  drawn  together  in  an  ominous  frown. 
Her  chin  was  uplifted. 

"  What  do  you  mean?  "  she  demanded. 

Jacob  hesitated,  floundered  and  was  lost.  Not  a 
word  of  all  the  eloquence  which  was  stored  up  in  his 
heart  could  pass  his  lips.  He  who  had  already  made 
a  start,  and  later  on  was  to  hold  his  own  in  the  world 
of  unexpected  happenings,  shrank  like  a  coward  from 
the  mute  antagonism  in  tlie  girl's  eyes. 

"  You  know,"  he  faltered. 

"  The  only  alternative  I  am  aware  of  to  earning 
my  own  living,"  she  said  quietly,  "  is  charity.  Were 
you  proposing  to  offer  me  a  share  of  your  wonderful 
fortune?  " 

"Only  if  I  myself  were  attached  to  it,"  he  an- 
swered, with  a  spark  of  courage. 


102  JACOB'S  LADDER 

She  turned  and  looked  at  him. 

"  I  am  afraid,"  she  said,  "  that  you  are  inclined  to 
take  advantage  of  your  position,  ]\Ir.  Pratt." 

"  I  want  to  say  nothing  to  worry  or  annoy  you," 
he  assured  her.  "  It  is  only  an  accident  that  I  am 
interested  in  this  estate.  I  am  not  your  benefactor. 
You  pay  your  rent  and  you  are  quite  independent." 

"  If  I  felt  that  it  were  otherwise,"  she  replied,  "  we 
should  not  be  here." 

"  I  am  sure  of  it,"  he  declared.  "  I  am  only  taking 
the  privilege  of  every  man  who  is  honest,  in  telling  the 
truth  to  the  girl  whom  he  prefers  to  any  one  else  in 
the  world." 

"  You  are  an  ardent  lover,  Mr.  Pratt,"  she  scoffed. 

"  If  I  don't  say  any  more,"  he  retorted,  "  it  is  be- 
cause you  paralyse  me.     You  won't  let  me  speak." 

"  And  I  don't  intend  to,"  she  answered  coldly. 
"  If  you  wish  to  retain  any  measure  of  my  friendship 
at  all,  3'ou  will  keep  your  personal  feelings  with  re- 
gard to  me  to  yourself." 

Jacob  for  a  moment  cursed  life,  cursed  himself,  his 
nervousness,  and  the  whole  situation.  A  little  breeze 
came  stealing  down  the  hillside,  bringing  with  it  an 
odour  of  new-mown  hay,  of  honeysuckle  and  wild 
roses  from  the  flower-wreathed  hedges.  The  girl 
lifted  her  head  and  her  expression  softened. 

"  It  is  a  wonderful  country,  this,"  she  admitted. 
"  You  are  to  be  congratulated  upon  having  discov- 
ered it,  Mr.  Pratt.     We  ought  to  consider  ourselves 


JACOB'S  LADDER  103 

very  fortunate,  my  mother  and  I,  in  having  such  a 
pleasant  home." 

"  It  is  n't  half  good  enough  for  you,"  he  declared 
bluntly. 

She  treated  him  to  one  of  her  sudden  vagaries. 
All  the  discontent  seemed  to  fade  in  a  moment  from 
her  face.  Her  eyes  laughed  into  his,  her  mouth 
softened  into  a  most  attractive  curve. 

"  Some  day,"  she  said,  as  she  turned  away,  "  I 
may  find  my  palace,  but  I  don't  think  that  j^ou  will 
be  the  landlord,  Mr.  Pratt.  —  Bother !  " 

Her  ill-temper  suddenly  returned.  A  tall,  elderly 
lady  had  issued  from  the  house  and  was  leaning  over 
the  gate.  She  was  of  a  severe  type  of  countenance, 
and  Jacob  remembered  with  a  shiver  her  demeanour 
on  his  visit  to  the  Manor  House  in  the  days  of  the 
Bultiwell  prosperity.  She  welcomed  him  now,  how- 
ever, with  a  most  gracious  smile,  and  beckoned  him 
to  advance. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  Pratt,"  she  said, 
as  they  shook  hands.  "  I  have  not  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  congratulating  you  upon  your  access  to 
fortune." 

"  Very  good  of  you,  I  'm  sure,"  Jacob  murmured. 

"  We,"  Mrs.  Bultiwell  continued,  "  are  progress- 
ing, as  you  perceive,  in  the  opposite  direction.  I 
suppose  it  is  an  idea  of  mine,  but  I  feel  all  the  time 
as  though  I  were  living  in  a  sort  of  glorified  alms- 
house." 


104  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  It  must  seem  very  small  to  you  after  the  Manor," 
Jacob  replied  politely,  "  but  the  feeling  you  have 
spoken  of  is  entirely  misplaced.  The  Estate  is  con- 
ducted as  a  business  enterprise,  and  will,  without 
doubt,  show  a  profit." 

"  You  are,  I  believe,"  Mrs.  Bultiwell  said,  "  con- 
nected with  the  Estate?  " 

Jacob  admitted  the  fact.  Sybil,  who  had  recom- 
menced her  watering,  drew  a  little  closer. 

"  There  are  a  few  things,"  Mrs.  Bultiwell  observed, 
"  to  which  I  think  the  attention  of  the  manager 
should  be  drawn.  In  the  first  place,  the  garden. 
It  all  requires  digging  up." 

"  Surely  that  is  a  matter  for  the  tenants,"  Sybil 
intervened. 

"  Nothing  of  the  sort,"  Jacob  pronounced.  "  It 
is  a  very  careless  omission  on  the  part  of  the  owners. 
I  will  give  orders  concerning  it  to-morrow," 

Mrs.  Bultiwell  inclined  her  head  approvingly. 
Having  once  tasted  blood,  she  was  unwilling  to  let  her 
victim  go. 

"  If  you  will  step  inside  for  a  moment,  Mr.  Pratt," 
she  went  on,  "  there  are  one  or  two  httle  things  I 
should  like  to  point  out  to  you.  Tlie  cupboard  in 
Sybil's  room  —  " 

"  Mother,"  Sybil  protested,  "  Mr.  Pratt  has  noth- 
ing to  do  with  these  matters." 

"  On  the  contrary,"  Jacob  replied  mildly,  "  I  am 
just  the  person  who  has  to  do  with  them.     You  are 


JACOB'S  LADDER  105 

paying  a  very  good  rent,  Mrs.  Bultiwell,  and  any 
little  thing  the  Estate  can  do  to  make  you  more  com- 
fortable —  " 

"  Come  this  way,  Mr.  Pratt,"  Mrs.  Bultiwell  in- 
terrupted firmly.  .  .  . 

Sybil  was  still  watering  the  garden  when  he  came 
out.  She  waited  until  he  had  exchanged  cordial  fare- 
wells with  Mrs.  Bultiwell,  and  then  summoned  him  to 
her.  Mrs.  Bultiwell  was  still  standing  on  the  thresh- 
old, smiling  at  them,  so  she  was  compelled  to  moder- 
ate her  anger. 

"  What  have  you  been  doing  in  there  with 
mother?  "  she  demanded. 

"  There  were  one  or  two  little  things  my  clerk  of 
the  works  has  neglected,"  he  answered.  "  I  prom- 
ised to  see  to  them,  that  's  all." 

"  You  know  perfectly  Avell  that  we  arranged  for  the 
house  as  it  was." 

"  I  don't  look  upon  it  in  that  way,"  he  said. 
"  There  are  certain  omissions  —  " 

"  Oil,  be  quiet !  "  she  interrupted  angrily.  "  And 
the  garden,  I  suppose,  should  all  have  been  prepared 
for  us?" 

"  Certainly  it  should  have  been  aU  dug  up,"  he  de- 
clared, "  and  not  only  that  little  bit  where  you  have 


vour  roses." 


"  Of  course,"  she  answered  sarcastically,  "  and  as- 
paragus beds  made,  I  suppose,  and  standard  roses 
planted ! 


»> 


106  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"I  think,  Miss  Bultiwell,"  he  ventured,  "that 
you  might  allow  me  the  privilege  of  having  the  place 
made  as  attractive  as  possible  for  you." 

She  glanced  back  towards  the  house.  Mrs.  Bulti- 
well, well  pleased  with  herself,  was  still  lingering. 
Sybil  conducted  their  visitor  firmly  towards  the  gate. 

"  Mr.  Pratt,"  she  said,  "  I  will  try  and  not  visit 
these  things  upon  you ;  but  answer  me  this  question. 
Have  you  given  my  mother  any  indication  whatever 
of  your  —  your  ridiculous  feelings  towards  me?  " 

"  Your  mother  gave  me  no  opportunity,"  he  re- 
plied.     "  She  was  too  busy  talking  about  the  house." 

"  Thank  goodness  for  that,  anyhow !  Please  un- 
derstand, Mr.  Pratt,  that  so  far  as  I  am  concerned 
you  are  not  a  welcome  visitor  here  at  any  time,  but 
if  ever  you  should  see  my  mother,  and  you  should 
give  her  the  least  idea  of  what  you  are  always  try- 
ing to  tell  me,  you  will  make  life  a  perfect  purgatory 
for  me.  I  dislike  you  now  more  than  any  one  I  know. 
I  should  simply  hate  you  then.     You  understand?  " 

"  I  understand,"  he  answered.  "  You  want  me,  in 
short,  to  join  in  a  sort  of  alliance  against  myself?  " 

"  Put  it  any  way  you  like,"  she  said  coldly. 

"  I  am  a  perfectly  harmless  person,"  he  declared, 
"  who  has  never  wronged  you  in  thought  or  deed.  It 
is  my  misfortune  that  I  have  a  certain  feeling  for  you 
which  I  honestly  don't  think  you  deserve." 

She  dropped  the  watering  can  and  her  eyes  blazed 
at  him. 


JACOB'S   LADDER  107 

"  Not  deserve?  "  she  repeated. 

"  No !  "  he  replied,  trembling  but  standing  his 
ground  firmly.  "  Every  nice  girl  has  a  feeling  of 
some  sort  for  the  man  who  is  idiot  enough  to  be  in 
love  with  her.  I  am  just  telling  3'ou  this  to  let  you 
know  that  I  can  see  your  faults  just  as  much  as  the 
things  in  you  which  —  which  I  worship.  And  good- 
night!".  .  . 

Jacob  sat  out  on  the  hillside  until  late,  smoking 
stolidly  and  dreaming.  Inside  the  little  white-plas- 
tered house  below,  from  wliich  the  Hghts  were  be- 
ginning to  steal  out,  Sybil  was  busy  preparing  sup- 
per and  waiting  upon  her  higUy-pleased  and  trium- 
phant parent.  Later,  she  too  sat  in  the  garden  and 
watched  the  moon  come  up  from  behind  the  dark  belt 
of  woodland  which  sheltered  the  reservoir.  Perhaps 
she  dreamed  of  her  prince  to  come,  as  the  lonely  man 
on  the  hillside  was  dreaming  of  the  things  which  she 
typified  to  him. 


CHAPTER    XI 

Jacob  sought  distraction  in  the  golfing  resorts  of 
England  and  the  Continent,  tried  mountaineering  in 
Switzerland,  at  which  he  had  some  success,  and  fi- 
nally, with  the  entire  Dauncey  menage,  took  a  small 
moor  near  the  sea  in  Scotland,  and  in  the  extreme 
well-being  of  plwsical  content  found  a  species  of  hap- 
piness which  sufficed  well  enough  for  the  time.  It 
was  early  winter  before  he  settled  down  in  London 
again,  with  the  firm  determination  of  neither  writing 
to  nor  making  any  enquiries  concerning  Sybil. 
Chance,  however,  brought  him  in  touch  with  her  be- 
fore many  da^-s  were  passed. 

"  Who  is  the  smartly  dressed,  sunburnt  little 
Johnny  who  is  staring  at  you  so.  Miss  Bultiwell?  " 
asked  her  vis-a-vis  at  a  luncheon  party  at  the  Savoy 
one  day.  "  His  face  seems  familiar  to  me,  but  I 
can't  place  him.  I  'm  sure  I  've  been  told  something 
interesting  about  him,  somewhere  or  other." 

"  That,"  Sybil  replied  coldly,  glancing  across  the 
room  towards  a  small  table  against  the  wall,  at  which 
Jacob  and  Dauncey  were  seated,  "is  Mr.  Jacob 
Pratt." 


JACOB'S   LADDER  109 

Mason,  one  of  the  mysteries  of  smarter  Bohemian 
life,  a  young  man  of  irreproachable  appearance,  a 
frequenter  of  the  best  restaurants,  with  a  large  ac- 
quaintance amongst  the  racing  and  theatrical  world 
but  with  no  known  means  of  subsistence,  showed 
marked  interest  in  the  announcement. 

"Not  Jacob  Pratt,  the  oil  millionaire?"  he  ex- 
claimed. 

She  nodded. 

"  His  money  comes  to  him,  I  believe,  from  some  oil 
springs  in  the  western  States  of  America,"  she  ac- 
quiesced.    "  His  brother  is  a  successful  prospector." 

The  young  man  leaned  across  the  table. 

"  Did  you  hear  that,  Joe?  "  he  enquired. 

Joe  Hartwell,  a  smooth-shaven,  stalwart  young 
American,  with  fleshy  cheeks  and  unusually  small 
eyes,  assented  vigorously. 

"  Mighty  interesting,"  was  Ms  thoughtful  com- 
ment.     "  A  millionaire,  Lady  Powers." 

Grace  Powers,  an  attractive  looking  young  lady, 
who  had  made  meteoric  appearances  upon  the  musi- 
cal comedy  stage  and  in  the  divorce  court,  and  was 
now  lamenting  the  decease  of  her  last  husband  —  a 
youthful  baronet  whom  she  had  married  while  yet  a 
minor  —  gazed  across  at  Jacob  with  frank  interest. 

"  What  a  dear  person  !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  He  looks 
as  though  he  had  come  out  of  a  bandbox.  I  think  he 
is  perfectly  sweet.  What  a  lucky  girl  you  are  to 
know  him,  Svbil !  " 


110  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  You  all  seem  to  have  taken  such  a  fancy  to  him 
that  you  had  better  divide  him  up  amongst  you," 
Sybil  suggested  coldly.     "  I  detest  him." 

*'  Please  introduce  me,"  Grace  Powers  begged,  — - 
*'  that  is,  if  you  are  sure  you  don't  want  him  your- 
self." 

"  And  me,"  Mason  echoed. 

"  Can't  I  be  in  this?  "  the  third  man,  young  Lord 
Felixstowe,  suggested,  leaning  forward  and  dropping 
the  eyeglass  through  which  he  had  been  staring  at 
Jacob.  "  Seems  to  me  I  am  as  likely  to  land  the  fish 
as  any  of  you." 

Sybil  thoroughly  disliked  the  conversation  and  did 
not  hesitate  to  disclose  her  feelings. 

"  Mr.  Pratt  is  only  an  acquaintance  of  mine,"  she 
declared,  "  and  I  do  not  wish  to  speak  to  him.  If 
he  has  the  temerity  to  accost  me,  I  will  introduce  you 
all  —  not  unless.     It  will  serve  him  right  then." 

Mason  looked  at  her  reprovingly. 

*'  My  dear  Miss  Bultiwell,"  he  said,  "  in  the  tortu- 
ous course  of  life,  our  daily  life,  an  unpleasant  action 
must  sometimes  be  faced.  If  you  remember,  barely 
an  hour  ago,  over  our  cocktails,  we  declared  for  a  life 
of  adventure.  We  paid  tribute  to  the  principle  that 
the  unworthy  wealthy  must  support  the  worthy 
pauper.     We  are  all  worthy  paupers." 

Grace  Powers  laughed  softly. 

"  I  don't  know  about  the  worthiness,'*  she  mur- 
mured, "  but  you  should  see  my  dressmaker's  bill !  " 


JACOB'S  LADDER  111 

"  Useless,  dear  lady,"  Mason  sighed.  "  We  five 
are,  alas  !  all  in  the  same  box.  We  must  look  outside 
for  relief.  Since  I  have  studied  your  friend's  physi- 
ognomy. Miss  Bultiwell,  I  am  convinced  that  an  ac- 
quaintance with  him  is  necessary  to  our  future  wel- 
fare. I  can  see  philanthropy  written  all  over  his  en- 
gaging countenance." 

*'  Mr.  Pratt  is  n't  a  fool,"  Sybil  observed  drily. 

"  Neither  are  we  fools,"  Mason  rejoined.  "  Be- 
sides," he  went  on,  "  you  must  remember  that  in  any 
little  exchange  of  wits  whicli  might  take  place  between 
Mr.  Pratt  and  ourselves,  the  conditions  are  scarcely 
equal.  We  have  nothing  to  lose  and  he  has  every- 
thing. He  has  money  —  a  very  great  deal  of  money 
—  and  we  are  paupers." 

"  Tliere  are  other  things  to  be  lost  besides  money," 
Sybil  reminded  him. 

"  I  guess  not,"  Hartwell  intervened,  with  real  fer- 
vour, —  "  nothing  else  that  counts,  an3rvray." 

They  watched  Jacob  longingly  as  he  left  the  res- 
taurant,—  personable,  self-possessed,  and  with  the 
crudities  of  his  too  immaculate  toilet  subdued  by  ex- 
perience. His  almost  wistful  glance  towards  Sybil 
met  with  an  unexpected  reward.  She  bowed,  if  not 
with  cordiality,  at  any  rate  without  any  desire  to 
evade  him.  For  a  single  moment  he  hesitated,  as 
though  about  to  stop,  and  the  faces  of  her  friends 
seemed  to  sharpen,  as  though  the  prey  were  already 
thrown  to  them.     Perhaps  it  was  instinct  which  in- 


112  JACOB'S   LADDER 

duccd  him  to  reconsider  his  idea.  At  any  rate  he 
passed  out,  and  Dauncey  pressed  his  arm  as  they 
emerged  into  the  street. 

"  I  have  never  been  favourably  impressed  with  Miss 
Bultiwell,"  the  latter  observed,  "  but  I  like  the  look  of 
her  friends  still  less." 

"  Sharks,"  Jacob  murmured  gloomily,  "  sharks, 
every  one  of  them,  and  it  would  n't  be  the  faintest  use 
in  the  world  my  telling  her  so." 

The  opportunity,  at  any  rate,  came  a  few  days 
later,  when  Jacob  found  amongst  his  letters  one 
which  he  read  and  reread  with  varying  sensations. 
It  was  in  Sybil's  handwriting  and  dated  from  Number 
100,  Russell  Square. 

Dear  Mr.  Pratt, 

If  you  are  smitten  with  the  new  craze  and  are 
thinking  of  having  dancing  lessons,  will  you  patron- 
ise my  little  endeavour?  Lady  Powers,  who  was  with 
me  at  the  Milan  the  other  day,  and  I,  have  a  class  at 
this  address  every  Thursday,  and  give  private  lessons 
any  day  by  appointment.  Perhaps  you  would  like 
to  telephone  —  1324,  Museum.  I  shall  be  there  any 
morning  after  eleven  o'clock. 

Sincerelv  yours, 

Sybil  Bultiwell. 

P.S.  I  dare  say  j'ou  have  heard  that  my  mother 
has  gone  to  make  a  long  stay  with  a  sister  at  Tor- 
qua3%  and  I  have  let  our  Cropstone  Wood  house  at 
quite  a  nice  profit.  I  am  staying  for  a  few  weeks 
with  Lady  Powers,  who  was  at  school  with  me. 


■JACOB'S   LADDER  113 

Jacob  summoned  Dauncey  and  put  the  letter  into 
his  hand. 

"  Read  this,  my  astute  friend,  and  comment,"  he 
invited. 

Dauncey  read  and  reread  it  before  passing  it 
back. 

"  The  young  lady,"  he  observed,  "  is  becoming 
amenable.  She  is  also,  I  should  imagine,  hankering 
after  the  fleshpots.  A  month  or  two  of  typing  has 
perhaps  had  its  effect." 

"  Any  other  criticism?  " 

Dauncey  shook  his  head. 

*'  It  seems  to  me  an  ordinary  communication 
enough,"  he  confessed. 

"  I  suppose  you  are  right,"  Jacob  admitted 
thoughtfully.  "  Perhaps  I  am  getting  suspicious. 
It  must  have  been  seeing  Miss  Bultiwell  with  that 
hateful  crowd." 

"  You  think  that  the  dancing  class  is  a  blind?  " 

Jacob  glanced  back  at  the  letter  and  frowned. 

"  I  don't  think  Miss  Bultiwell  would  stoop  to  any- 
thing in  the  nature  of  a  conspiracy,  but  those  two 
men,  Hartwell  and  Mason,  are  out  and  out  wrong 
'uns,  and  it  is  several  months  since  any  one  tried  to 
rob  me." 

"  You  '11  go,  all  the  same,"  Dauncey  observed,  with 
a  smile. 

Jacob  leaned  over  to  the  telephone. 

"  Museum  1324,"  he  demanded. 


114  JACOB'S   LADDER 

At  half-past  four  that  afternoon,  Jacob  rang  the 
bell  at  a  large  and  apparently  empty  house  in  Rus- 
sell Square.  The  door  was  opened  after  a  brief  de- 
lay by  a  woman  who  appeared  to  be  a  caretaker  and 
who  invited  him  to  ascend  to  the  next  floor.  Jacob 
did  so,  and,  pushing  open  a  door  which  was  standing 
ajar,  found  himself  in  a  large  apartment  with  a 
polished  oak  floor,  two  or  three  lounges  by  the  wall,  a 
gramophone,  and  a  young  lady  whom  he  recognised 
as  Sybil's  companion  at  the  Milan. 

"  Mr.  Pratt,"  she  greeted  him  sweetly.  *'  I  am  so 
glad  to  know  you." 

Jacob  shook  hands  and  murmured  something  ap- 
propriate. 

"  Sybil  will  be  here  in  a  few  minutes,"  the  young 
lady  continued.  *'  You  are  going  to  have  a  lesson, 
are  n't  you  ?  " 

"  I  believe  so,"  Jacob  answered.  "  I  hope  you 
won't  find  me  very  stupid." 

She  smiled  up  into  his  face. 

"  You  don't  look  as  though  you  would  be.  I  am 
Sybil's  partner,  Grace  Powers.  I  saw  you  at  the 
Milan  the  other  day,  did  n't  I?  Are  you  in  a  great 
hurry  to  start,  or  would  you  like  to  sit  and  talk  for 
a  few  minutes.''  " 

Jacob  accepted  the  chair  to  which  she  pointed,  and 
a  cigarette. 

"  You  find  it  tiring  giving  these  lessons?  "  he  en- 
quired politely. 


JACOB'S  LADDER  115 

"  Sometimes,"  she  admitted.  "  I  have  just  had 
such  a  stupid  boy.  He  will  never  learn  anything, 
and  he  is  such  a  nuisance." 

"  I  hope  you  won't  have  to  find  fault  with  me," 
Jacob  observed. 

She  smiled. 

"  Not  in  the  same  way,  at  any  rate." 

**  A  timid  dancer?  "  Jacob  queried. 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders. 

•'  We  won't  discuss  him,"  she  said.  "  He  bores 
me.  He  is  one  of  those  persistent  young  men  who 
make  love  to  you  in  monosyllables  and  expect  suc- 
cess as  a  matter  of  course." 

"  In  how  many  syllables,"  Jacob  began  — 

She  interrupted  him  with  a  little  grimace. 

"  You  know  perfectly  well  you  wiU  never  want  to 
make  love  to  me,"  she  said.  "  You  are  in  love  with 
Sybil  Bultiwell,  aren't  you.''  " 

"  Did  she  tell  vou  so  ?  " 

The  girl  shook  her  head. 

*'  I  just  guessed  it  from  the  way  you  looked  at  her. 
And  I  expect  you  are  one  of  those  picturesque  sur- 
vivals, too,  who  can  only  love  one  woman  at  a  time. 
Are  n't  you,  Mr.  Pratt.?  " 

"  I  don't  know  what  I  am  capable  of  yet,"  Jacob 
confessed.  "  You  see,  my  career  as  a  philanderer 
has  only  just  begun.  I  had  to  work  hard  until  about 
a  year  ago." 

"  I  have  heard  all  about  vour  wonderful  fortune," 


116  JACOB'S  LADDER 

she  said,  looking  at  him  with  veneration.  "  It  gives 
you  a  sort  of  halo,  you  know.  We  all  speak  of  you 
as  a  kind  of  Monte  Cristo.  It 's  a  queer  thing, 
is  n't  it,  the  fascination  of  wealth?  " 

"  I  have  n't  noticed  that  it 's  done  me  much  good 
up  till  now,  so  far  as  regards  the  things  we  were  dis- 
cussing," Jacob  replied,  a  little  sadly. 

"  Then  that  must  be  because  you  are  very  unre- 
sponsive," she  said  softly,  rising  to  her  feet  and  com- 
ing and  standing  before  him.  "  Would  you  care  — 
to  dance?  " 

"  Had  n't  I  better  set  the  gramophone  going 
first?  "  Jacob  suggested,  with  blatant  lack  of  intui- 
tion. 

She  drew  back  a  little,  laughed  softly,  and  put  on 
a  record  herself.     Then  she  held  out  her  arms. 

"  Come,  then,  my  anxious  pupil,"  she  invited. 
"  What  do  you  most  wish  to  learn,  and  have  you  any 
idea  of  the  steps  ?  " 

Jacob  confessed  to  some  acquaintance  with  modern 
dancing  and  a  knowledge  at  least  of  the  steps.  They 
danced  a  fox  trot,  and  at  its  conclusion  she  shook  her 
head  at  him. 

"  I  know  all  about  you  now,  Mr.  Pratt,"  she  said. 
"  You  are  an  absolute  fraud.  You  dance  as  well  as 
I  do." 

"But  I  need  practice  badly,"  he  assured  her 
anxiously. 

I  suppose  —  it 's  really  Sybil  ?  "  she  asked  rue- 


« 


JACOB'S  LADDER  117 

fully,  looking  him  in  the  eyes  with  a  queer  little  smile 
at  the  corners  of  her  lips. 

"  I  'm  afraid  so,"  he  admitted.  "  You  won't  give 
me  away,  will  you?  " 

"  How  can  I  give  you  away  ?  "  she  asked.  "  Your 
behavior  has  been  perfect  —  of  its  sort." 

"  I  mean  about  the  dancing,"  he  explained.  "  If 
Miss  Bultiwell  thinks  I  know  as  much  about  it  as  I 
do  —  " 

"  I  understand,"  she  interrupted.  "  I  won't  say  a 
word.     Shall  we  try  a  hesitation?  " 

Here  Jacob  found  a  little  instruction  useful,  but 
he  was  a  born  dancer  and  very  soon  gave  his  instruc- 
tress complete  satisfaction.  Just  as  they  had  fin- 
ished, Sybil  came  in.  She  greeted  Jacob  politely,  but 
with  none  of  her  partner's  cordiality. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  be  late,  Mr.  Pratt,"  she  said.  "  I 
hope  that  Grace  has  been  looking  after  you." 

"  Admirabh',"  he  replied. 

"  I  suppose  you  thought  I  was  quite  mad  when  you 
got  my  note,"  she  went  on,  walking  to  the  mantel- 
piece and  drawing  off  her  gloves. 

"  Not  at  all,"  he  assured  her.  "  I  was  very  glad 
to  get  it.  Vcr}^  kind  of  you  to  give  me  the  chance 
of  polishing  up  my  dancing." 

"  Try  a  fox  trot  with  him,  Sybil,"  Grace  sug- 
gested.    *'  I  think  he  is  going  to  be  quite  good." 

Jacob  was  as  clumsy  as  he  dared  be,  but  he  was 
naturally  very  light  on  his  feet,  and,  with  an  unusu- 


118  JACOB'S  LADDER 

ally  correct  ear  for  music,  he  found  blunders  difficult. 
They  danced  to  the  end  without  conversation. 

"  I  do  not  think,"  Sybil  said,  a  little  coldly,  "  that 
you  will  need  many  lessons." 

"  On  the  contrary,"  he  replied,  "  I  feel  that  I  shall 
need  a  great  many.  I  am  rather  out  of  breath. 
May  I  have  a  rest?  " 

"  There  wiU  be  another  pupil  very  shortly,"  she 
warned  him. 

"  Never  mind,"  he  answered.  "  You  can  give  me 
a  longer  time  to-morrow." 

She  turned  towards  him  with  upraised  eyebrows. 

"  To-morrow?  Surely  you  are  not  thinking  of 
coming  every  day  ?  " 

"Why  not?  I  get  so  little  exercise  in  London, 
and  wherever  one  goes,  nowadays,  there  is  dancing." 

"  But  you  don't  need  the  lessons." 

*'  I  need  the  exercise,  and  indeed  I  am  much  worse 
than  you  think  I  am.  That  happened  to  be  a  very 
decent  tune." 

"  Don't  discourage  a  pupil,"  Grace  intervened. 
"  We  can  fit  him  in  every  day,  if  he  wants  to  come. 
We  charge  an  awful  lot  though,  Mr.  Pratt." 

*'  You  ought  to,"  Jacob  replied.  "  You  teach  so 
exceptionally  well.  May  I  pay  for  a  few  lessons  in 
advance,  please,"  he  asked,  producing  his  pocket- 
book  ;  "  say  a  dozen?  " 

"  It 's  a  guinea  a  time,"  Grace  told  him.  "  Don't 
be  rash." 


JACOB'S   LADDER  119 

Jacob  laid  the  money  upon  the  desk,  and  Sybil 
wrote  out  a  formal  receipt. 

"  I  think  you  are  very  foolish,"  she  said,  "  and  if 
you  take  my  advice  you  will  come  once  a  week." 

"  And  if  3'ou  take  mine,"  Grace  declared,  leaning 
over  his  shoulder  and  laughing,  "  3'ou  '11  come  every 
day.  We  might  go  bankrupt,  and  then  you  'd  lose 
your  money." 

"  I  shall  come  as  often  as  I  am  allowed,"  Jacob  as- 
sured her. 

"  Oh,  }■  ou  can  come  when  you  like,"  Sybil  remarked 
carelessly.  "  If  I  am  not  here,  Grace  can  give  you  a 
lesson.  You  will  find  it  a  most  informal  place,"  she 
went  on,  listening  to  footsteps  on  the  stairs. 
"  People  drop  in  and  have  a  dance  whenever  they 
feel  like  it.  I  am  glad  you  are  not  an  absolute  be- 
ginner.     It  is  sometimes  embarrassing  for  them." 

Tlie  door  opened  and  Hartwell  entered,  followed 
by  Mason.  Sybil  introduced  them.  Both  were  ex- 
ceedingly cordial. 

"  Heard  of  you  out  in  New  York,  Mr.  Pratt,"  the 
former  remarked,  as  he  shook  hands.  "  I  only  just 
missed  meeting  your  brother.  He  got  well  ahead  of 
our  prospectors,  out  West." 

"  My  brother  has  been  very  fortunate,"  Jacob  re- 
plied. 

"  I  guess  he  is  one  of  the  brightest  men  who  ever 
came  over  to  the  States  from  this  country,"  Hart- 
well  declared.      "  Knows  all  about  oil,  too." 


120  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  Not  too  much  gossip,"  Sybil  interposed.  "  Mr. 
Pratt,  you  are  here  to  learn  dancing.  So  are  you, 
Mr.  Hartwell.  Please  try  a  hesitation  with  me,  and, 
Grace,  you  take  Mr.  Pratt." 

"  Sybil  is  very  foolish,"  Grace  whispered  to  Jacob, 
as  they  swayed  up  and  down  the  room.  "  Mr.  Hart- 
well  is  perfectly  hopeless,  and  you  dance  beautifully." 

**  It  is  you,"  Jacob  told  her,  "  who  are  inspiring." 

She  looked  into  his  eyes. 

*'  I  believe  you  are  going  to  improve,"  she  said 
hopefiilly. 


CHAPTER    XII 

Dauncey  accepted  his  chief's  invitation,  one  morn- 
ing about  a  week  later,  when  things  were  slack,  to 
sit  in  his  room  and  have  a  chat. 

"  How  goes  the  dancing?  "  he  enquired,  stretching 
out  his  hand  for  a  cigarette. 

"  Interesting  developments  may  shortlj?^  be  ex- 
pected," Jacob  replied  reflectively.  "  Up  to  the 
present,  only  two  of  the  party  have  declared  them- 
selves. Mr.  Mason  has  made  propositions  to  me  with 
regard  to  finding  the  money  for  starting  a  night  club, 
and  Mr.  Hartwell  has  offered  me  a  share  in  some  oil 
springs  in  Trinidad." 

"  A  certain  lack  of  imagination  about  HartweU's 
offer,"  Dauncey  commented. 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  thought  it  rather  subtle," 
Jacob  observed.  "  You  see,  I  am  supposed  to  know 
all  about  oil,  although  I  really  know  no  more  about  it 
than  the  man  in  the  moon.  And  there  certainly  is 
oil  in  Trinidad." 

"  What  about  the  others?  " 

"  Lady  Powers,"  Jacob  confessed,  "  has  shown  a 
flattering  desire  for  my  escort  to  dinner ;  in  fact,  I  am 


122  JACOB'S  LADDER 

afraid  I  am  committed  to  next  Sunday  night.  It 
appears  that  she  is  in  some  slight  financial  trouble 
and  requires  the  advice  of  a  man  of  the  world." 

"  Hm!  "  Dauncey  ejaculated.  "  What  does  Miss 
Bultiwell  say  to  that?  " 

*'  I  don't  think  she  knows,"  Jacob  admitted,  "  but 
I  am  afraid  she  would  n't  care  if  she  did.  Grace 
Powers  pretends  to  want  to  be  very  secretive  about  it, 
but  I  fancy  that 's  only  to  spare  my  feelings." 

"  Any  other  members  of  the  gang?  "  Dauncey  en- 
quired. 

"  There 's  that  ^^oung  sprig  of  fashion,  Lord 
Felixstowe,"  Jacob  replied.  "  I  have  n't  heard 
from  him  yet.  He  is  rather  a  nice  boy.  And  there 
is  Miss  Bultiwell  herself." 

"  Have  you  had  any  conversation  with  her?  " 

"  She  is  lunching  with  me  to-day.  I  expect  I 
shall  get  into  trouble  about  it,  but  I  am  going  to 
speak  to  her  plainly  about  her  friends." 

"  How  did  she  get  mixed  up  with  such  a  crew?  " 

"  She  was  at  school  with  Grace  Powers,"  Jacob  an- 
swered, "  but  I  don't  know  how  they  came  together 
again.  She  will  either  tell  me  this  morning  —  or  she 
won't." 

"  And  Lord  Felixstowe?  " 

There  was  a  knock  at  the  door.  The  office  boy 
brought  in  a  card.     Jacob  glanced  at  it  and  smiled. 

*'  His  turn  appears  to  have  arrived,"  he  said. 
"  You  can  show  Lord  Felixstowe  in." 


JACOB'S   LADDER  123 

Dauncey  departed,  and  the  visitor  entered  and  pro- 
ceeded to  make  himself  at  home.  Notwithstanding  a 
slightly  receding  chin  and  a  somewhat  weedy  frame, 
he  was  a  personable  being,  and  Jacob  stifled  a  sigh 
of  envy  as  he  reahsed  that  he  would  never  be  able  to 
wear  a  Guards'  tie  with  his  lounge  suit.  The  young 
man  accepted  a  cigarette.  His  attitude  was  dis- 
tinctly friendly. 

"  Thought  I  'd  look  you  up,  old  thing,"  he  said. 
"  Not  much  chance  of  a  po^'wow  at  Russell  Square. 
As  soon  as  you  and  I  get  a  word  together,  that  chap 
Hartwell  comes  butting  in,  or  else  Pliil  Mason  has  a 
bundle  of  prospectuses  to  show  you.  What-ho  the 
gidd}^  night  club!  What-ho  the  Trinidad  Oil 
Wells !  » 

Jacob  coughed. 

"  There  is  one  thing  about  Russell  Square  which 
puzzles  me,"  he  confided,  "  and  that  is,  except  for  the 
people  you  have  mentioned,  I  seem  to  be  the  only 
pupil." 

Lord  Felixstowe  smiled  knowingly. 

"  They  've  got  a  few  old  crooks  come  later  in  the 
day,"  he  said.  "  The  reason  3'ou  don't  meet  any  one 
else  there  is  because  they  like  to  keep  you  to  them- 
selves." 

"  I  can't  see  what  they  gain  by  that,"  Jacob  con- 
fessed, a  little  mystified. 

The  young  lordling  assumed  the  patient  air  of  one 
having  to  deal  with  a  person  of  inferior  intelligence. 


124  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  Come,  come,"  he  remonstrated,  "  you  must  know 
that  they  're  trying  to  milk  you  for  a  bit.  Has  n't 
Mason  suggested  your  financing  his  night  club?  " 

"  Some  sort  of  a  proposition  was  made,"  Jacob 
acknowledged.     *'  I  declined." 

"  And  Hartwell.''  Has  he  mentioned  some  oil  wells 
in  Trinidad.?" 

"  He  has,"  Jacob  admitted.  "  I  happen  to  be 
doing  rather  well  in  oils  in  another  direction." 

"  You  have  n't  turned  up  early  one  day  and  found 
Grace  in  tears  with  a  dressmaker's  bill  on  her  knee, 
have  you.''  " 

"  That,  I  presume,  is  to  arrive.  Lady  Powers  is 
dining  with  me  next  Sunday." 

"  Mind  3'our  P's  and  Q's,  then,"  the  young  philos- 
opher advised.  "  She 's  a  fly  little  hussy.  You 
see,  Pratt,  I  know  the  world  a  bit.  Seems  to  me  I 
might  be  rather  useful  to  you  —  in  fact  that 's  why 
I  came  here  this  morning." 

*'  It  is  very  kind  of  you,"  Jacob  said.  "  In  what 
way,  may  I  ask.''  " 

"  You  see,"  Lord  Felixstowe  proceeded,  hitching 
up  his  trousers  and  drawing  his  chair  a  little  nearer, 
"  I  know  the  ropes,  Pratt,  and  you  don't.  You  're  a 
A-ery  decent  fellow  who  's  made  a  pot  of  money,  and 
naturally,  just  at  first,  you  don't  know  where  you 
are.  You  want  to  get  on,  eh,  to  know  the  right  sort 
of  people,  go  to  the  right  sort  of  places,  be  seen  about 
with  the  right  sort?     Between  ourselves,  old  thing, 


JACOB'S  LADDER  125 

Hartwell  and  Mason  are  n't  the  right  sort.  Suits 
me  to  pick  their  brains  a  bit,  now  and  then,  when  the 
oof 's  coming  along  slowly,  but  then  I  can  do  what  I 
like  —  you  can't." 

"  Let  me  have  your  concrete  proposition.  Lord 
Felixstowe,"  Jacob  suggested,  with  a  faint  smile  at 
the  corner  of  his  lips. 

"  Righto !  Tell  you  what  I  'm  prepared  to  do. 
I  '11  pal  you  up,  take  you  to  lunch  and  dinner  at  the 
smart  places,  take  you  to  the  Opera  right  nights,  and 
the  mater  shall  ask  you  to  dine  once  in  Belgrave 
Square  and  send  you  cards  for  her  big  shows.  Then 
the  governor  shall  ask  you  to  lunch  at  his  club  one 
day,  and  if  there 's  anything  doing,  you  tumble, 
there  are  a  couple  of  his  clubs  I  think  he  could  put 
you  up  for.  You  '11  be  seen  about  with  me.  People 
will  ask  who  you  are.  I  shall  lay  it  on  thick,  of 
course,  about  the  millions,  and  before  you  know  where 
you  are,  old  bean,  j^ou  '11  be  hobnobbing  with  all  the 
dukes  and  duchesses  of  the  land." 

"  I  see,"  Jacob  murmured.  "  And  what  are  your 
terms?  " 

"  A  thousand  down,  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  a 
month,"  the  young  man  replied.  "  You  pay  all  the 
expenses,  of  course." 

"  Does  that  include  the  luncheon  with  your  father 
and  the  dinner  with  your  mother?  "  Jacob  asked. 

"  It  includes  everything.  Of  course,  if  the  gover- 
nor has  a  word  or  two  to  say  on  his  own,  that 's 


126  JACOB'S   LADDER 

neither  here  nor  there.  I  want  to  see  you  a  bit 
more  ambitious,  Pratt,"  the  young  man  declared, 
throwing  one  leg  over  the  other  and  lighting  a  fresh 
cigarette.  "  It 's  the  millions  that  count,  nowadays. 
Why,  there  's  no  reason  why  you  should  n't  marry  one 
of  our  set,  if  you  play  your  cards  properly  and  drop 
that  other  rabble.  And  look  here,  old  dear,  I  '11  give 
you  a  straight  tip.  You  chuck  100,  Russell  Square. 
They  're  too  fly,  those  chaps.  I  'm  looking  around 
for  anything  there  may  be  to  pick  up  myself,  but 
the}^  're  too  hot  for  me." 

Jacob  glanced  at  his  watch. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "  I  'm  very  much  obliged  to  you. 
Lord  Felixstowe,  for  your  visit,  and  I  have  thor- 
ouglily  enjoyed  our  conversation.  I  shall  certainly 
remember  your  warning,  and  as  for  your  offer  — 
weU,  I  '11  think  about  it." 

The  visitor  rose  reluctantly  to  his  feet. 

"  It 's  an  offer  I  would  n't  make  to  every  one, 
Pratt,"  he  concluded.  "  Just  happens  I  'm  rather  at 
a  loose  end  —  had  a  nasty  week  at  Newmarket.  I 
might  even  get  you  a  few  days  down  at  our  place  in 
Norfolk,  if  you  know  how  to  handle  a  gun." 

"  I  '11  consider  it,"  Jacob  promised  once  more. 
"  You  '11  have  to  excuse  me  just  now.  I  'm  lunching 
with  a  young  lady  —  Miss  Bultiwell,  in  fact." 

Lord  Felixstowe  picked  up  his  hat. 

"  See  you  later,  then,"  he  concluded.  "  Old  friend 
of  yours.  Miss  Bultiwell,  eh.'' 


»> 


JACOB'S   LADDER  127 

"  An  acquaintance  of  some  years'  standing,"  Jacob 
admitted. 

"  Give  her  the  straight  tip,"  Lord  Felixstowe  ad- 
vised earnestly.  "  Don't  know  what  she  's  doing  with 
that  crew,  anyhow.  She  seems  a  different  sort  of 
person  altogether.     Tell  her  to  cut  it  out.    By-by !  '* 

Jacob  found  his  luncheon  companion  cold  but 
amiable.  He  waited  until  the}"^  were  halfway  through 
the  meal,  and  then  took  his  courage  in  both  hands. 

"  Miss  BultiweU,"  he  began,  "  I  don't  like  your 
friends." 

"Really?"  she  said.  "I  thought  you  were  a 
great  success  with  them." 

*'  My  popularity,"  he  assured  her  drily,  "  is  wan- 
ing. I  have  annoyed  Mr.  Mason  by  refusing  to  find 
the  money  for  him  to  start  a  night  club,  Mr.  Hartwell 
by  not  buying  some  oil  wells  in  Trinidad,  and,  in  a 
lesser  degree.  Lord  Felixstowe  by  not  jumping  at  the 
chance  of  engaging  him  as  my  social  mentor  at  a 
somewhat  exorbitant  salary." 

"  And  Grace?  " 

"  Lady  Powers  is  dining  with  me  on  Sunday  night," 
Jacob  announced.  "  Her  schemes  seem  to  need  a 
little  further  formulation." 

Sybil  bit  her  hp. 

"  You  are  very  rude  about  my  friends." 

"  I  am  not  rude  at  all,  and  they  are  not  your 
friends." 


128  JACOB'S   LADDER 

"  Surely  I  know  best  about  that?  "  she  demanded 
haughtily. 

"  You  do,"  he  admitted,  "  and  you  know  perfectly 
well  that  in  your  heart  you  agree  with  me  and  they 
are  not  your  friends.  Every  one  of  them  is  more  or 
less  an  adventurer,  and  how  you  found  your  way  into 
such  company  I  can't  imagine." 

"  When  did  Grace  ask  you  to  take  her  out  to  din- 
ner? "  she  enquired  irrelevantly. 

"  Lady  Powers  has  been  kind  enough  to  suggest  it 
several  times,"  he  replied.  "  She  thinks  that  it  would 
give  me  confidence  to  dance  in  public." 

"  You  have  quite  enough  confidence,"  Sybil  de- 
clared, with  some  asperity,  "  and  as  a  matter  of  fact 
you  dance  too  well  to  need  any  more  lessons." 

"  Are  you  giving  up  teaching?  "  he  asked. 

"  That  depends." 

"  You  really  mean  to  continue  your  association 
with  these  people?  Mind,  I  am  speaking  advisedly 
concerning  them.  Mason  and  Hartwell  are  both 
well-known  about  town.  They  are  adventurers  pure 
and  simple  and  absolutely  improper  associates  for 
you." 

"  I  can  take  care  of  myself,"  Sybil  assured  him  in- 
differently. 

"  But  you  ought  not  to  be  seen  with  such  a  crowd," 
he  objected. 

"  Why  not?  I  have  n't  the  slightest  objection  to 
being  called  an  adventuress.     I  want  to  make  money, 


JACOB'S   LADDER  129 

and  so  far  as  money  is  concerned,  I  have  no  con- 
science. I  am  a  hopelessly  incompetent  clerk  oi*  sec- 
retary, and  I  am  keeping  the  chorus  for  a  last  re- 


source." 


"  Why  should  you  be  an  incompetent  secretary?  " 
he  demanded. 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders. 

"  I  suppose  I  have  n't  the  temperament  for  ser- 
vice. I  was  dismissed  from  my  first  two  situations 
for  what  they  called  impertinence,  and  I  had  to  leave 
the  third  because  all  three  partners  tried  to  kiss  me. 
I  did  n't  mind  one,"  she  went  on  reflectively,  *'  but 
with  all  three  it  grew  monotonous." 

"  Brutes !  "  Jacob  exclaimed  fiercely. 

"  Oh,  no,  they  were  quite  nice  about  it,"  she  de- 
clared. "  It  is  n't  that  I  mind  being  kissed  particu- 
larly, but  I  hate  it  to  come  into  the  two  pounds  a 
week  arrangement.  Besides,  there  is  another  fatal 
objection  to  my  being  able  to  keep  any  post  as  a 
typist." 

"What  is  it.?  "he  asked. 

*'  I  simply  cannot  wear  the  clothes,"  she  confessed. 

He  looked  puzzled. 

"  I  don't  quite  understand.  You  don't  have  to 
wear  a  uniform  or  anything." 

She  looked  at  him  pityingly. 

"  Look  at  me,"  she  directed.  "  Now  what  would 
you  say  if  I  walked  into  your  office  and  asked  for  a 
post  as  typist  at  two  or  three  pounds  a  week.'*  " 


130  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  Take  you  on  like  a  shot,"  he  assured  her  en- 
thusiastically. 

"  Don't  be  silly.  I  don't  mean  personally.  I  am 
looking  upon  you  as  a  type.  Well,  supposing  you 
did  take  me  on,  your  wife  would  call  down  at  the  office 
in  a  few  days,  look  at  me  and  call  you  to  one  side. 
I  can  hear  her  whispering  in  your  ear  — '  You  must 
get  rid  of  that  girl.'  " 

"  And  just  why?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  suppose  you  think  that  I  am  very  plainly 
dressed?  " 

"  You  look  very  nice,"  he  declared,  glancing  at  her 
neat  black  and  white  check  tailormade  suit,  the  smart 
hat,  and  remembering  his  glimpse  of  her  silk  stock- 
ings and  shapely  black  patent  shoes  as  she  had  come 
down  the  stairs ;  "  very  nice  indeed,  but  you  are 
dressed  quite  plainly." 

"  The  ignorance  of  men !  "  she  sighed.  "  This  cos- 
tume I  have  on  cost  forty  guineas  and  came  from  one 
of  the  best  places  in  London.  My  hat  cost  twelve, 
and  everything  else  I  have  on  is  in  proportion. 
These  are  the  last  remnants  of  my  glory.  Well, 
when  I  went  down  to  the  city,  I  had  to  wear  a  blue 
serge  costume  I  had  bought  ready-made,  sort  of 
hybrid  stockings  which  I  hated,  a  hat  of  the  neat 
varietj-^,  which  means  no  shape  and  no  style,  fabric 
gloves,  and  shoes  from  a  ready-made  shop.  I  felt, 
day  by  day,  just  as  though  I  were  trying  to  play  a 
hopeless  part  in  some  private  theatricals.    I  could  n't 


JACOB'S   LADDER  131 

breathe.  You  see,  I  am  not  in  the  least  a  heroine.  I 
want  the  things  I  've  been  used  to,  somehow  or 
other." 

"  There  is  another  alternative,"  Jacob  ventured. 

"  You  refer,  I  suppose,  to  marriage  or  its  equiva- 
lent ?  As  it  happens,  however,  I  have  peculiar  views 
about  sacrificing  m}'  liberty.  I  would  sooner  give 
everj'thing  I  have  to  a  person  I  cared  for  than  sell 
myself  to  a  person  whom  I  disliked.  Is  n't  that  your 
bill?  " 

Jacob's  fingers  trembled  a  little  as  he  drew  out  a 
note  and  laid  it  upon  the  plate. 

"  I  wonder  why  you  dislike  me  so  much,"  he  specu- 
lated, as  they  waited  for  his  change. 

She  contemplated  him  indifferentl3\ 

"  Does  one  discuss  those  things  ?  Are  you  coming 
to  Russell  Square  for  3'our  lesson  this  afternoon?  " 

"  It  scarcely  seems  worth  while,"  he  sighed. 

"  I  think  you  had  better,"  she  said,  frowning. 
*'  They  are  expecting  you." 

"They?  "he  repeated. 

A  little  spot  of  colour  burned  in  her  cheeks.  She 
looked  away  hastily. 

"  The  lady  with  whom  you  are  going  to  dine  on 
Sunday  night,  for  one,"  she  reminded  him. 

There  was  a  moment's  silence.  Jacob  was  per- 
plexed. 

"  Are  you  going  to  be  there?  "  he  enquired. 

"  Yes !  " 


132  JACOB'S   LADDER 

He  glanced  at  his  watch. 

"  We  may  as  well  go  together,  then,"  he  suggested* 

They  walked  up  the  stairs  to  the  street,  and  he 
handed  her  into  his  car,  which  was  waiting.  On  their 
way  to  Russell  Square  she  was  unusually  silent.  At 
the  top  of  Shaftesbury  Avenue  she  turned  to  him 
abruptly. 

"  Perhaps  you  had  better  not  come,  after  all,"  she 
said.     "  I  will  make  your  excuses  to  Grace." 

"  I  can  take  care  of  myself,"  Jacob  replied. 

Her  eyes  mocked  him. 

"  You  are  quite  sure  ?  " 

"  Perfectly." 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders  and  made  no  other  re- 
mark until  they  drew  up  in  front  of  the  house  in 
Russell  Square.  When  he  would  have  assisted  her 
to  alight,  she  hesitated  once  more. 

"  Listen,"  she  said,  speaking  with  a  curious  jerki- 
ness.  "  You  were  quite  right  about  Hartwell  and 
Mason.  Tliey  are  adventurers  —  and  they  are  both 
waiting  for  you  inside.  They  want  your  money  very 
badly.  We  all  want  it.  Now  don't  you  think  you 
had  better  postpone  your  lesson?  " 

Jacob  smiled  confidently. 

"  What  I  have  is  yours  for  the  asking,"  he  de- 
clared.    "  It  will  be  theirs  only  if  they  can  take  it." 

She  suffered  him  to  follow  her  into  the  house. 


CHAPTER    XIII 

It  must  have  been,  Jacob  decided,  about  half  an 
hour  later  when  his  senses  readjusted  themselves  to 
his  existing  environment.  He  was  in  what  had  ap- 
parently been  the  kitchen,  situated  in  the  basement 
of  the  house,  seated  in  a  fairly  comfortable  chair  to 
which  he  was  tied  by  cords.  Hartwell  and  Mason 
were  watching  him  with  the  air  of  uneasy  conspira- 
tors. Sybil,  perfectly  composed,  was  lounging  in  a 
wicker  chair  a  little  way  off,  smoking  a  cigarette. 
The  black  man  who  he  had  been  told  was  the  leader 
of  the  newest  Jazz  band,  come  to  give  the  j^oung  lady 
some  hints  as  to  music,  had  disappeared.  From  the 
distant  sound  of  the  gramophone,  he  gathered  that 
Grace  Powers  was  engaged  upstairs  with  a  pupil. 

"  Feeling  all  right  again,  eh?  "  Mason  asked  anx- 
iously. 

"  Perfectly,  thank  you,"  Jacob  answered.  "  By 
the  bye,  what  happened?  " 

"  You  —  er  —  had  a  sort  of  faint,"  Mason  be- 
gan — 


134  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  Don't  start  that  junk,"  Hartwell  intervened* 
"  You  were  doped  by  the  nigger  and  carried  down 
here.     We  want  some  money  from  you,  Pratt." 

"  Does  this  seem  a  reasonable  way  to  get  it.''  " 
Jacob  enquired,  looking  down  at  the  marks  on  his 
wrists. 

"  I  guess  it  '11  do  the  trick,"  was  the  gruff  re- 
joinder. 

"  Well,  get  on  with  the  programme,  then,"  Jacob 
directed. 

"  We  're  going  to  let  you  off  cheap,"  Mason  said. 
"  There  's  your  cheque  book  on  the  table  there,  and  a 
fountain  pen  by  the  side.  If  you  are  willing  to  sign 
an  open  cheque  for  five  thousand  pounds,  payable  to 
Miss  Sybil  Bultiwell,  you  can  dine  at  home  to-night." 

"  Why  to  Miss  Bultiwell?  " 

"  Because  we  think  it  well  to  have  Miss  Bultiwell 
formally  associated  with  the  transaction,"  Mason 
explained,  with  a  crafty  smile.  "  Miss  Bultiwell  will 
endorse  the  cheque  and  receive  her  share  of  the  —  er 
—  proceeds." 

Jacob  turned  a  little  in  his  chair,  so  as  to  face 
Sybil.     She  met  his  gaze  defiantly. 

"  It  was  scarcely  necessary  to  resort  to  such  means 
as  these,  Miss  Bultiwell,  if  you  were  in  need  of  five 
thousand  pounds,  or  any  part  of  it,"  he  said  quietly. 

"  Perhaps  not,"  she  retorted,  "  but  can't  you  see 
the  difference  ?  I  would  n't  take  a  penny  of  your 
money  from  you  as  a  gift,  but  I  have  n't  the  least 


JACOB'S   LADDER  135 

compunction  in  taking  my  share  of  what  you  will 
have  to  pay  for  your  freedom." 

"  I  see,"  Jacob  murmured.  "  This  requires  con- 
sideration." 

Mason  glanced  at  his  watch. 

"  It  is  now,"  he  said,  "  a  quarter  past  three.  The 
banks  close  at  four.  If  you  want  to  avoid  spending 
the  night  here,  you  '11  sign  that  cheque  right  away." 

"What  happens  then?  "  Jacob  enquired. 

"  Miss  Bultiwell  will  cash  it  at  the  bank,  will  bring 
the  proceeds  here,  and  in  a  couple  of  hours'  time  3^ou 
will  be  able  to  leave." 

"And  what  do  you  suppose  my  next  proceeding 
wiU  be?  "  Jacob  asked. 

"  In  an  ordinary  way  you  would  go  straight  to 
Scotland  Yard,  I  suppose,"  Mason  replied.  "  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  however,  we  are  rather  gambling  upon 
the  idea  that,  with  Miss  Bultiwell's  name  on  the 
cheque,  and  taking  into  consideration  the  fact  that 
she  is  going  to  cash  it  in  person,  you  may  prefer  to 
treat  the  matter  as  a  little  duel  in  wits  in  which  you 
have  been  worsted,  and  accept  the  consequences  like  a 
sportsman." 

"  I  see,"  Jacob  murmured.  "  But  supposing,  even 
at  the  risk  of  involving  Miss  Bultiwell,  I  go  to  Scot- 
land Yard?" 

"  Then  the  only  person  whom  Scotland  Yard  could 
possibly  lay  their  hands  on  would  be  the  young  lady 
herself,"  Mason  pointed  out.    "  Hartwell  and  I  years 


136  JACOB'S   LADDER 

ago  learnt  the  secret  of  disappearing  from  London, 
and  I  can  promise  you  that  no  Scotland  Yard  man 
will  lay  a  hand  on  us." 

"  Excellently  thought  out,"  Jacob  confessed. 

"  Say,  let 's  cut  out  this  chin  music,"  Hartwell  in- 
terposed. "  Just  what  are  you  going  to  do  about 
it?" 

"  I  am  going  to  sign  the  cheque,"  was  the  unhesitat- 
ing reply. 

They  cut  the  bonds  which  secured  his  right  hand. 
Jacob  wrote  the  cheque  according  to  their  directions, 
signed  it  carefully  and  handed  it  over.  They  passed 
it  to  S3'bil. 

**  In  as  small  notes  as  you  can  get,"  Mason  en- 
joined.    "  Come  straight  back  here." 

She  nodded  and  left  the  room,  with  an  insolent  little 
glance  at  Jacob.  The  latter  leaned  back  in  his 
chair. 

"  You  see,  I  am  quite  amenable,"  he  said.  "  And 
how,  don't  you  think  that  as  I  am  a  very  small  man, 
and  feeling  exceedingly  unwell  from  the  stuff  on  the 
handkerchief  which  that  nigger  of  yours  thrust  down 
my  throat,  and  there  are  two  of  you,  both  big  fel- 
lows, you  could  loosen  my  cords  for  me?  This  is 
damned  uncomfortable,  and  I  hate  the  melodramatic 
appearance  of  it." 

"  Will  you  promise,  upon  your  honour,  to  make  no 
effort  whatever  to  get  away  before  Miss  Bultiwell's 
return?  "  Mason  demanded. 


JACOB'S  LADDER  137 

"  I  give  you  my  word  that  I  will  do  nothing  of  the 
sort." 

They  cut  his  cords.  Jacob  staggered  to  his  feet 
and  stretched  himself.  A  bottle  and  glasses  upon  a 
table  at  the  farther  end  of  the  room  attracted  his 
attention. 

"  Is  that  whisky  ?  "  he  asked,  in  an  interested  man- 
ner. 

"  Guess  we  '11  find  you  a  Scotch  and  soda,"  Hart- 
well  declared.  "  Don't  you  feel  too  badly  about  this, 
Pratt,"  he  went  on,  as  he  handed  liim  the  tumbler. 
"  We  'd  have  gone  for  a  much  bigger  thing  with  you, 
but  for  INIiss  Bultiwell.  She  would  n't  have  you  bled 
for  more,  and  she  would  n't  have  us  take  you  where 
I  wanted  to,  down  Limehouse  way,  where  we  could 
have  kept  you  snugly  for  a  week,  if  necessary." 

"  Extraordinarily  considerate  of  her,"  Jacob  ob- 
served drily,  as  he  drained  the  contents  of  the  tum- 
bler. 

"  I  can  tell  you,  sir,"  Hartwell  went  on,  as  he 
handed  over  his  cigarette  case,  "  out  in  the  State 
where  I  come  from,  we  should  think  nothing  of  a 
hold-up  like  this.  Why,  you  have  n't  a  scratch,  and 
you  could  afford  to  put  that  five  thou  in  the  plate 
at  church  and  not  notice  it.  Have  one  more  small 
one  for  luck." 

"  I  don't  mind  if  I  do,"  Jacob  acquiesced.  .  .  . 
"  You  fellows  must  see  some  life." 

"  Not  on  this  side,"  Hartwell  replied  despondently. 


138  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  We  're  too  near  the  edge  of  3'our  little  island  all 
the  time,  for  a  job  of  this  sort.  I  'm  in  a  bit  of 
trouble  over  in  the  States,  or  I  should  n't  be  wasting 
my  time  here." 

Jacob  stretched  himself  expansively  in  the  easy- 
chair.   He  thrust  his  hands  into  his  pockets  and  sighed. 

"Just  about  reached  the  bank,  hasn't  she?" 

"  They  're  counting  out  the  flimsies  right  now," 
Hartwell  exulted. 

Jacob  nodded. 

"  You  fellows  have  brought  this  off  all  right,"  he 
reflected.  "  I  suppose  you  knew  I  should  n't  give 
any  trouble." 

"  We  kind  of  reckoned  you  'd  be  sensible,"  Hart- 
well  admitted. 

"  Supposing  I  'd  dodged  that  drug  and  shown 
fight?  "  Jacob  went  on.  "  Were  you  armed,  you  fel- 
lows? " 

Hartwell  smiled  contemptuously. 

"  Not  for  a  little  job  like  this,"  he  replied.  "  When 
I  use  shooting-irons,  things  happen.  Do  you  get  me, 
Pratt?  " 

Jacob  nodded. 

"  You  seem  to  have  held  me  very  lightly,"  he 
grumbled.  "  I  expect  Mason  has  an  automatic  in 
his  hip  pocket." 

"  I  have  never  carried  firearms  in  my  life,"  Mason 
declared,  with  a  shiver.     "  I  prefer  finesse." 

Then  Jacob  began  to  laugh.     He  rose  from  his 


JACOB'S   LADDER  13^ 

chair  and  walked  up  and  down  the  room  with  his 
hands  in  his  trousers  pockets,  shaking  with  mirth. 
The  two  men  watched  him  at  first  in  surprise,  after- 
wards with  growing  uneasiness. 

"  What  the  hell 's  got  you?  "  Mason  demanded. 

"  Can't  you  let  us  into  the  joke?  "  Hartwell  sug- 
gested. 

"  I  really  think  I  must,"  Jacob  replied,  coming  to 
a  standstill  near  the  door.  "  You  know,  it  may  seem 
strange  to  you,  but  honestly  I  am  not  quite  chicken 
food.  I  knew  a  bit  about  you  two,  and  I  should  never 
have  come  near  this  dancing  class  but  that  I  wanted 
to  keep  an  eye  on  Miss  Bultiwell.  Seemed  to  me 
j-^esterday  that  things  were  coming  pretty  well  to  a 
crisis.  I  was  the  only  genuine  pupil  here  —  empty 
house,  disappointed  adventurers,  and  all  the  rest  of 
it.  So  tliis  morning  I  looked  in  at  my  bank  and  told 
them  exactly  what  to  do  if  any  open  cheque  were 
presented  with  two  little  dots  underneath  my  signa- 
ture. You  noticed  them,  didn't  you.  Mason?  I 
should  think,"  he  concluded,  glancing  at  his  watch, 
"  that  in  a  matter  of  five  minutes  we  ought  to  have 
some  interesting  visitors  here." 

"  The  little  hound  's  done  us ! "  Mason  shouted. 
"Come  on,  Hartwell.  Taxi's  outside.  We  shall 
just  have  time." 

But  they  faced  a  transformed  and  most  unexpected 
Jacob  Pratt.  Hartwell,  rushing  for  the  door,  was 
adroitly  tripped  up  and  fell  heavily.     Mason,  after 


140  JACOB'S  LADDER 

a  moment's  whirlwind  sparring,  found  himself  on  his 
back,  seeing  a  thousand  stars.  Jacob  took  up  his 
position  in  front  of  the  door. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  announced,  "  I  promised  not  to 
attempt  to  escape  and  I  shall  keep  my  word.  But  as 
regards  giving  you  a  little  lesson,  that 's  another 
matter.  I  might  mention  that  I  was  knocked  out  in 
the  semi-finals  for  the  amateur  lightweights  by  a 
chance  blow.  You  can  come  along  together,  if  you 
like,  or  separately." 

"  Rush  the  little  devil ! ,"  Hartwell  shouted,  rising. 

They  rushed  —  one  another.  To  their  amazed 
senses,  Jacob  seemed  transformed  into  some  extraor- 
dinary creation  of  india  rubber,  and  the  events  of  the 
next  few  minutes  lived  in  their  memories  only  as  a 
hideous  and  painful  nightmare.  ...  In  a  matter  of 
five  minutes,  Jacob  opened  the  hall  door  to  Sybil. 
She  stared  at  him  in  bewilderment.  His  hand  closed 
upon  her  wrist.  He  held  her  gently,  but  there  was  a 
feeling  of  iron  underneath  the  velvet,  and  a  new 
sternness  in  his  tone. 

"  The  notes  are  in  your  handbag,  I  see.  Thank 
you !  " 

He  thrust  the  roll  into  his  jjocketbook  and  handed 
her  back  the  empty  bag  before  she  had  recovered  the 
power  of  speech. 

"Where  are  they  all?"  she  gasped.  "How  on 
earth  did  you  get  here?  " 

"  I  brought  off  a   small  bluff,"  Jacob  explained 


JACOB'S  LADDER  141 

gravely.  "  Your  two  friends  believed  a  little  legend 
of  mine  about  the  signing  of  my  cheque  and  expected 
a  visit  from  some  Scotland  Yard  officers.  They 
tried  to  escape.  You  '11  find  them  downstairs.  I 
am  afraid  Mason  may  have  to  go  to  the  hospital,  but 
Hartwell  should  be  all  right  in  a  day  or  two,  if  he 
lies  in  a  dark  room." 

For  the  moment  she  was  cowed.  She  looked  at  him 
almost  fearfully.  Hartwell  and  Mason  were  strong 
men.  Escape  seemed  to  her  a  miracle.  With  her 
wrist  still  in  his  steel-like  grasp,  she  suffered  him  to 
lead  her  out  on  to  the  pavement. 

"  Your  association  with  this  ridiculous  escapade," 
he  continued,  "  has  decided  me  to  regai'd  it  as  a  prac- 
tical joke,  —  on  one  condition :  which  is  that  you  step 
into  my  car  there,  allow  my  man  to  drive  you  to 
your  rooms,  or  wherever  you  are  staying,  and  prom- 
ise me  to  have  nothing  whatever  more  to  do  with  this 
gang  of  adventurers." 

"  You  are  not  going  to  give  information  to  the 
police  about  them?  "  she  asked  breathlessly. 

"  I  cannot  without  involving  you,"  was  the  cool 
reply.  "  You  were  the  decoy.  You  can  insure  their 
safety." 

She  shivered. 

"  I  accept,"  she  murmured. 

Jacob  handed  her  into  the  car.  She  moved  her 
skirts  instinctively  to  make  room  for  him  by  her  side. 
He  closed  the  door. 


142  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  The  lady  will  direct  you,"  he  told  his  chauffeur, 
stepping  back. 

She  leaned  out  of  the  window  and  gave  an  address 
to  the  man.  Then  she  turned  to  Jacob.  She  was 
very  pale  but  her  eyes  were  ablaze. 

"  I  just  want  to  tell  you,"  she  said,  "  that  from  the 
bottom  of  my  heart  I  hate  and  detest  you." 

The  car  glided  away,  and  Jacob  walked  across  the 
Square  towards  a  taxicab  stand. 


/ 


CHAPTER   XIV 

Jacob,  on  the  following  morning,  received  a  pen- 
cilled epistle  from  Sybil  which  brought  him  little  sat- 
isfaction. There  was  no  orthodox  commencement, 
and  it  was  written  on  sheets  of  paper  torn  apparently 
from  a  block : 

I  have  been  asking  myself,  on  my  way  into  exile  — 
where  I  am  going  to  stay  with  some  pestilential  rela- 
tives in  Devonsliire  —  exactly  why  I  dislike  you  more 
and  more  every  time  we  come  into  contact  with  one 
another,  and  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  is 
because  in  our  controversies  you  are  nearly  always 
right  and  I  am  nearly  always  wrong.  I  suppose,  as 
a  matter  of  fact,  I  have  n't  the  slightest  reason  in 
harbouring  ill-will  against  you  for  refusing  to  put 
your  money  into  the  business  which  my  father  had 
allowed  to  become  derelict.  I  am  quite  sure  that 
you  gave  me  good  advice  when  you  told  me  to  keep 
away  from  those  men  who  tried  to  rob  you.  In  short, 
you  are  always  right  and  I  am  always  wrong,  and  I 
hate  you  all  the  more  for  it. 

I  shall  not  return  to  London  for  at  least  a  good 
many  months.  During  that  time  I  do  beg  that  you 
will   sit  down  and   forget   all   about  me.     Have  an 


144  JACOB'S  LADDER 

affair  with  Grace,  if  you  like,  flirt  with  any  one  you 
want  to,  or,  better  still,  get  married.  But  I  tell 
you  honestly  that  it  absolutely  irritates  and  angers 
me  to  be  made  conscious  of  your  —  shall  I  call  it 
devotion?  There  is  something  antagonistic  between 
us.  I  don't  know  what  it  is,  but  I  do  know  that  I 
shall  never  change.  And  I  beg  you,  therefore,  to  do 
as  I  ask  you  —  forget  that  such  a  person  exists. 

You  may  think  that  because  I  have  admitted  as 
much  as  I  have  admitted,  that  it  has  changed  my 
feelings  towards  you.  It  has  not.  It  never  could. 
I  am  boiling  over  with  passion  at  the  present  moment 
when  I  think  how  you  treated  our  plot  with  con- 
tempt and  walked  out  of  it  with  the  air  of  a  con^ 
queror.  I  am  going  to  bury  myself  in  Devonshire, 
partly  because  I  have  nothing  else  to  do  and  nowhere 
else  to  go,  but  partly  so  that  I  may  not  have  the  mis- 
fortune to  see  anything  more  of  you.  By  the  time  we 
meet  again,  if  ever  we  do,  I  hope  that  you  will  be  cured. 

Sybil  Bultiwell. 

Jacob  read  the  letter  twice,  until  every  phrase  and 
syllable  seemed  burned  into  his  memory.  Then  he 
tore  it  into  small  pieces,  gave  Dauncey  a  power  of 
attorney,  and  started  for  Monte  Carlo.  He  lingered 
a  little  on  the  way  there,  exploring  the  country  round 
Hyeres  and  Costebelle.  Almost  the  first  person  he 
met  at  Monte  Carlo  was  Lord  Felixstowe.  He  was 
coming  out  of  Ciro's  bar,  his  shoulders  a  little 
hunched,  a  cigarette  dropping  from  his  lips.  He 
would  have  passed  Jacob,  if  the  latter  )ad  not  ac- 
costed him. 


JACOB'S   LADDER  145 

"  Forgotten  me,  Lord  Felixstowe?  " 

His  young  lordship  recognised  Jacob  and  cheered 
up. 

"  Oil  in  the  wilderness,  manna  in  the  desert !  "  he 
exclaimed.  "  A  man  with  a  banking  account ! 
Come  right  in,  and  Henry  shall  mix  you  a  morning 
tot  that  will  make  you  feel  as  pink  as  the  sunrise." 
~  "  I  '11  try  this  wonderful  drink,"  Jacob  consented, 
*'  but  I  don't  need  it.  By  the  bye,  were  you  to  have 
had  your  share  of  that  five  thousand  pounds?  " 

"  Just  one  degree  too  thick  that  was  for  me,"  the 
young  man  confided,  after  he  had  given  mysterious 
orders  to  his  white-linened  friend  behind  the  bar. 
*'  I  am  not  putting  on  frills,  mind.  I  was  willing  to 
come  in  on  any  scheme  to  induce  you  to  part  with  a 
bit,  but  I  did  n't  fanc}'  the  medieval  touch  and  the 
black  gentleman.  Gad,  you  're  a  little  terror, 
though,  Pratt !  I  'd  have  given  something  to  have 
seen  you  knock  those  two  about !  I  went  to  visit 
Mason  in  hospital.  You  could  n't  see  his  face  for 
bandages.".  .  . 

On  Jacob's  proposition,  they  strolled  out  on  to  the 
terrace. 

"  Are  you  going  into  the  Rooms  this  morning?  "  he 
enquired. 

Lord  Felixstowe  shook  his  head  gloomily. 

"  They  've  skinned  me,"  he  confessed.  "  I  got  a 
fifty-pound  note  from  an  old  aunt,  to  bring  her  out 
as  far  as  Bordighera.      She  don't  speak  the  lingo, 


146  JACOB'S  LADDER 

and  I  am  rather  a  nut  at  it.  I  landed  her,  all  right, 
day  before  yesterday,  dropped  off  here  on  my  way 
home,  and  lost  the  lot." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do,  then?  " 

*'  Borrow  a  pony  from  you,  old  top,"  was  the 
prompt  reply. 

Jacob  counted  out  the  notes,  which  the  young  man 
received  with  enthusiasm. 

"  I  like  a  chap  who  parts  like  a  sportsman,"  he  de- 
clared. "  Now  I  wonder  if  there  is  anything  I  can 
do  for  you.  Would  you  like  me  to  look  you  up 
about  dinner  time  at  your  hotel?  If  you  are  alone, 
I  dare  say  I  could  find  you  a  pal  or  two." 

"  Come  and  dine  with  me,  by  all  means,"  Jacob 
invited,  "  but  I  have  a  few  acquaintances  here,  and  if 
I  want  any  more  no  doubt  I  shall  be  able  to  pick 
them  up." 

The  young  man  looked  at  his  watch. 

"  I  have  an  appointment  at  table  number  five  and  a 
louis  to  go  on  number  fourteen,  in  a  few  minutes,"  he 
declared.     "  So  long." 

Jacob  took  out  his  card  for  the  Rooms  and  the 
Sporting  Club,  lunched  leisurely  with  an  acquaintance 
whom  he  had  met  on  the  train  coming  down,  made  a 
few  purchases,  gambled  mildly,  with  some  success, 
and  had  just  changed  and  descended  for  his  cocktail 
before  dinner  at  the  Paris  when  Felixstowe  strolled  in. 
He  smote  Jacob  on  the  back  and  ordered  delectable 
drinks. 


JACOB'S  LADDER  147 

"  Your  money  has  the  right  touch,  old  bean,"  he 
declared.  "  It 's  the  sort  that  worms  its  way  to 
glory.  I  can  assure  you  my  little  bit  went  through 
the  croupier's  hands  like  water.  Yours  —  God  bless 
you,  old  dear !  We  '11  drink  fizz  to-night.  To  think 
that  if  I  had  n't  met  you  I  might  have  been  trying  the 
vin  ordinaire  on  my  way  back !  " 
-     "  Do  I  gather  that  you  won?  "  Jacob  asked. 

"Thirteen  hundred  of  the  best,  my  pocket  Croe- 
sus," was  the  jubilant  reply.  "  To-morrow  you  shall 
have  3'our  pony  back  —  not  to-night.  Your  money 
brings  me  luck,  Jacob.  It 's  the  stuff  I  've  been  look- 
ing for." 

They  made  their  way  into  the  dining  room,  where 
Felixstowe  was  greeted  by  many  acquaintances.  A 
bewildering  confection  in  black  and  white  claimed  his 
attention.  He  rejoined  Jacob  a  moment  later  with 
a  proposition. 

"  Couple  of  little  fairies  there  who  'd  like  to  hitch 
on,  Jacob,"  he  suggested.  "  Betty  Tomlinson's  one, 
little  girl  I  used  to  know  at  the  Gaiety.  Got  a  flat 
in  Paris  now.  The  other  little  thing  is  an  American 
in  the  same  line  of  business." 

Jacob  shook  his  head. 

"  If  you  don't  mind,"  he  said,  "  I  'd  rather  not." 

"  The  hand  that  pays  the  reckoning  rules  the 
roost,"  Felixstowe  paraphrased  cheerfully.  "  Wait 
till  I  hand  'em  the  mit.  Tell  Louis  to  put  a  magnum 
on  the  ice." 


148  JACOB'S   LADDER 

"  Look  here,  young  fellow,"  Jacob  observed,  when 
his  young  friend  made  his  joyous  return,  "  just  how 
old  are  you?  " 

"  Twenty-four,"  Lord  Felixstowe  confided.  "  And 
if  it 's  the  wine  you  are  thinking  about,  don't  you 
worry.  We  've  got  it  in  our  blood  and  we  thrive  on 
it.  We  doubled  this  little  allowance  each,  the  night 
after  we  won  the  regimental  polo  cup,  and  I  made  a 
hundred  and  seven  against  Yorkshire  the  following 
day.  You  should  see  the  governor  —  a  sallow,  lean- 
looking  man,  without  an  ounce  of  colour.  He  'd 
drink  you  under  the  table  before  he  'd  begun  to  hic- 
cough. .  .  .  You  're  not  much  of  a  lad  for  the 
fillies,  what?  " 

"  I  find  the  variety  here  a  little  exotic,"  Jacob 
confessed. 

"  You  like  the  homemade  article,  eh  ?  Not  sure 
that  you  ain't  right.      Gad,  I  'm  glad  I  met  you !  " 

Jacob,  who  might  have  been  dining  alone,  recipro- 
cated the  sentiment  as  they  solemnly  toasted  one 
another. 

"  Look  here,  old  thing,"  the  young  man  insisted, 
"we're  pals.  You've  crossed  the  Rubicon,  so  to 
speak  —  tipped  up  the  ready  at  the  right  moment 
and  started  me  on  the  road  to  fortune.  We  '11  drop 
the  '  Mr.  '  and  the  '  Lord  '-ing.  Felix  and  Jacob, 
eh?  Good!  My  love,  Jacob.  Come  along  with  me 
into  the  Rooms  and  see  me  touch  up  those  Johnnies 
to-night." 


JACOB'S   LADDER  149 

Jacob  shook  his  head. 

"  I  prefer  the  Club,"  he  said,  "  and  if  you  take  my 
advice,  you  '11  put  a  thousand  in  your  pocketbook  and 
have  a  flutter  with  the  three  hundred." 

"  Jacob,"  the  }■  oung  man  declared,  "  I  feel  to-night 
as  though  Jove  had  looked  down  from  Olympus  and 
winked  the  other  eye  at  me.  You  get  me?  I  feel  in 
luck,  steeped  in  the  magic  of  it ;  could  n't  do  wrong, 
could  n't  pick  a  loser  if  I  tried.  Seven  times  in 
eleven  spins  of  the  wheel  number  fourteen  came  up 
this  afternoon,  and  to-night  I  can  see  number  twenty- 
nine  just  the  same  way.  Number  five  table,  Jacob, 
that  I  'm  going  to  hit.  The  croupier  who  '11  be  on 
at  ten  o'clock  has  a  sort  of  double  squint.  I  '11  send 
him  to  the  vaults,  sure  as  this  Pommery  is  about  the 
best  tipple  I  ever  drank.  .  .  .  Aren't  you  going  to 
have  a  flutter  yourself?  " 

"  Gambling  does  n't  appeal  very  much  to  me," 
Jacob  admitted. 

The  young  man  who  desired  to  be  called  Felix 
sighed. 

"  Docs  n't  gamble,"  he  mused,  "  drinks  moderately, 
and  likes  his  fairies  good.  Jacob  dear,  I  must  intro- 
duce you  some  day  to  the  home  circle.  You  were 
certainly  made  for  domesticity.  Did  you  tell  Cook's 
man  about  yourself  when  you  booked  for  Monte 
Carlo?" 

"  I  told  him  that  I  'd  heard  it  was  a  good  place  for 
winter  golf,"   Jacob   replied,   smiling.     "  If  you  've 


150  JACOB'S   LADDER 

finished  talking  nonsense,  perhaps  you  will  bring  your 
mighty  intellect  to  bear  upon  the  question  of  liqueur 
brandies." 

"  Are  you  feeling  at  all  festive  ?  "  Felixstowe  en- 
quired. 

"  Absolutely,"  Jacob  answered. 

"  Then  consult  Louis  and  leave  it  to  him.  You 
know  what  Pierpont  Morgan  called  Monte  Carlo?  — 
'  the  bleeding  place  for  millionaires.'  Louis  will  see 
you  through  it." 

The  dinner  came  to  a  close  in  a  little  burst 
of  glory,  Louis  himself  bringing  them  a  dust-en- 
crusted bottle,  whilst  a  satellite  placed  before 
them  two  glasses  which  looked  like  the  insides 
of  chandeliers. 

"  The  right  stuff,"  Lord  Felixstowe  declared  ap- 
provingly.    "  Trust  Louis." 

"  Who  trusts  no  one,  my  lord,"  the  maitre  dliotel 
jested,  with  a  bow. 

"  You  won't  even  leave  the  bottle?  "  his  youthful 
client  implored. 

"  Not  even  for  the  son  of  my  valued  patron,  Mon- 
sieur le  Marquis,"  Louis  replied,  bearing  it  off,  smil- 
ing. 

"  I  go  like  a  giant  to  my  task,"  the  young  man  de- 
clared, as  he  bade  Jacob  au  revoir.  "  Prepare  for 
great  news.".  .  . 

Jacob  spent  a  pleasant  and  a  harmless  evening 
wandering  about  the  Sporting  Club,  winning  and  los- 


JACOB'S  LADDER  151 

ing  a  few  five-louis  plaques,  and  sitting  for  a  while 
outside  the  Cafe  de  Paris.  He  went  to  bed  early, 
with  a  view  to  a  golf  match  on  the  morrow,  and  was 
wakened  by  a  dead  weight  upon  his  shins.  He  sat 
up  and  found  Felixstowe  sitting  on  the  bed,  regarding 
him  sorrowfully. 

"  Hullo  !  "  Jacob  exclaimed.  "  Where  are  the 
spoils?  " 

The  3'oung  man  opened  his  lips  and  spoke  illumi- 
nating words  concerning  Monte  Carlo,  gambling  gen- 
erally, number  five  table  in  the  Rooms,  and  the  squint- 
eyed  croupier  particularly.  In  conclusion,  he  re- 
ferred to  himself  in  terms,  if  possible,  even  more  lurid. 
By  the  time  he  had  finished,  Jacob  was  thoroughly 
awake. 

"  Lend  me  ten  louis,  old  chap,  for  the  journey,"  his 
nocturnal  visitor  begged.  "  You  '11  have  to  wait  for 
your  pony." 

"  Take  it  off  the  dressing  tablo,"  Jacob  replied. 
"What's  the  hurry?" 

"  I  'm  off  in  three  hours'  time.  Catching  the  early 
morning  train." 

Jacob  hesitated  for  a  moment. 

"  Look  here,  Felix,"  he  suggested,  "  if  you  'd  like 
to  have  another  go  at  them  —  " 

Felixstowe  shook  his  head. 

"  I  'm  not  built  that  way,"  he  interrupted.  "  I  've 
given  them  best  this  time.  You  see,"  he  went  on, 
"  it 's  a  mug's  game,  after  all,  and  meant  for  mugs. 


152  JACOB'S  LADDER 

I  shall  wait  and  pick  up  my  little  bit  where  the  grey 
matter  talks,  what?  " 

"  I  see,"  Jacob  replied.  "  Perhaps  you  are  right. 
Sorry  to  lose  you,  though." 

"  I  '11  look  you  up  in  town,"  the  young  man  prom- 
ised. 


CHAPTER    XV 

Jacob  lingered  for  a  month  in  Monte  Carlo. 
While  he  found  little  to  attract  him  in  the  gambling 
or  the  social  side  of  the  place,  the  glorious  climate, 
the  perpetual  sunshine,  the  fine  air  of  La  Turbie, 
and  a  pleasing  succession  of  golf  victories  helped 
him  to  pass  the  time  pleasantly.  He  spent  a  week  at 
Cannes  on  the  way  back,  making  wonderful  progress 
in  his  tennis,  and  from  there  he  hired  a  motor-car  and 
spent  a  fortniglit  at  Aix.  He  reached  London  early 
in  May,  to  find  Dauncey  unchanged  and  his  own 
affairs  prosperous.  During  all  this  time  he  had  had 
no  word  of  or  from  Sybil  Bultiwell.  He  went  almost 
directly  to  his  cottage  at  Marlingden,  where  he  found 
Mrs.  Harris  eagerly  awaiting  his  arrival,  and  over 
the  supper  table,  Dauncey  and  he  and  a  rejuvenated 
Nora  talked  over  that  evening  when  the  two  men  had 
arrived  home  in  the  motor-car,  laden  with  strange 
packages  and  overflowing  with  their  marvellous  news. 

"  Life  hr.s  been  so  wonderful  ever  since,"  Nora 
murmured.  "  Dick  looks  ten  years  younger,  and  I 
feel  it.     Tlie  children  you  can  see  for  yourself,     I 


154  JACOB'S   LADDER 

wonder,"  she  went  on  a  little  timidly,  as  she  realised 
her  host's  peculiar  aversion  to  expressed  gratitude, 
"  I  wonder  whether  you  ever  realise,  Jacob,  what  it 
means  to  have  taken  two  people  from  a  struggle  which 
was  becoming  misery  and  to  have  made  them  utterly 
and  completely  happy.".   .   . 

Jacob  thought  of  her  words  as  he  lingered  for  an 
hour  in  his  little  sitting  room  that  night.  His  own 
memory  travelled  backwards.  He  realised  the  joy 
which  he  had  felt  at  paying  his  debts,  the  even  greater 
joy  of  saving  the  Daunceys  from  despair.  He 
thought  again  of  the  small  pleasures  which  his  af- 
fluence had  brought,  the  sense  of  complacency,  almost 
of  dignity,  which  it  had  engendered.  There  were 
many  men,  he  knew,  who  thought  him  the  most  fortu- 
nate amongst  all  their  acquaintance.  And  was  he, 
he  wondered?  He  looked  across  at  the  light  in  the 
Daunceys'  bedroom  and  saw  it  extinguished.  He 
looked  back  with  a  sigh  to  his  empty  room.  He  had 
read  many  books  since  the  days  of  his  prosperity,  but 
books  had  never  meant  very  much  to  him.  He  real- 
ised, in  those  moments  of  introspection,  his  weakness 
and  his  failure.  His  inclinations  were  all  intensely 
human.  He  loved  kind  words,  happy  faces,  flowers 
and  children.  He  was  one  of  those  for  whom  the 
joys  and  gaieties  of  the  demimonde  were  a  farce,  to 
whom  the  delights  of  the  opposite  sex  could  only 
present  themselves  in  the  form  of  one  person  and  in 
one  manner.     He  was  full  of  sentiments,  full  of  easily 


JACOB'S   LADDER  155 

offended  prejudices.  Fate  had  placed  in  his  hands 
the  power  to  command  a  life  which  might  have  been 
as  varied  as  grand  opera,  and  all  that  he  desired  was 
the  life  which  Dauncey  had  found  and  was  living. 

Upstairs  were  the  Harrises,  sleeping  together  in 
comfort  and  happiness,  the  creatures  of  his  bounty, 
his  ffrateful  and  faithful  servants.  And  he  knew 
well  how  both  of  those  two  across  the  way,  whom  he 
envied,  blessed  his  name.  It  was  a  happiness  to 
think  of  them,  and  yet  an  impersonal  happiness.  He 
longed  humanly  for  the  other  and  more  direct  kind. 

Dauncey  found  cause  for  some  anxiety  in  Jacob's 
demeanour  during  the  course  of  the  next  few  weeks. 

"  You  know,  Jacob,"  he  said,  "  in  one  way  I  never 
saw  you  look  so  well  in  your  life.  That  bronze  you 
got  in  the  south  of  France  is  most  becoming,  and,  if 
you  '11  forgive  my  saying  so,  you  seem  to  have  gained 
poise  lately,  to  have  lost  that  slight  self-consciousness 
with  which  you  looked  out  upon  life  just  at  first. 
And  yet  you  don't  look  as  I  'd  like  to  see  you.  I 
have  n't  even  heard  3'ou  laugh  as  you  used  to." 

Jacob  nodded. 

"  I  'm  all  right,  Dick,"  he  assured  his  friend. 
"  Fact  is,  I  tliink  I  am  suffering  from  a  surfeit  of 
good  things.  Everything  in  the  world  's  lying  ready 
to  my  hands,  and  I  don't  quite  know  which  way  to 
turn." 

"  Did  you  hear  anything  of  Miss  Bultiwcll  while 
you  were  abroad?  "  Dauncey  asked  a  little  abruptly. 


156  JACOB'S   LADDER 

"  Not  a  word,"  Jacob  replied.  "  Her  last  letter 
to  me  seemed  to  end  things  pretty  effectually." 

Dauncey  spoke  words  under  his  breath  which  were 
real  and  blasphemous. 

*'  Can't  you  put  her  out  of  your  thoughts,  old 
chap?  " 

"  I  think  I  have,  and  yet  the  place  where  she  was 
is  empty.  And,  Dick,"  Jacob  went  on,  "  I  don't 
know  where  or  how  to  fill  it.  You  see,  I  've  crowds  of 
acquaintances,  but  no  friends  except  you  and  Nora. 
One  or  two  rich  city  people  ask  me  to  their  houses, 
and  the  whole  of  Bohemia,  I  suppose,  is  open  to  me. 
I  never  see  any  women  belonging  to  my  city  friends 
who  appeal  in  the  least  to  my  imagination,  and 
there  's  something  wrong  about  the  other  world,  so 
far  as  I  am  concerned.  We  are  not  out  for  the 
same  thing." 

"  I  think  I  understand,"  Dauncey  said  quietly. 

"  I  expect  you  do,"  Jacob  continued.  "  You 
ought  to,  because  j^ou  're  exactly  where  I  want  to 
be.  I  want  a  wife  who  is  just  good  and  sweet  and 
affectionate.  She  need  n't  be  clever,  she  need  n't  be 
well-born,  and  she  need  know  no  more  about  Society 
than  I  do.  I  want  her  just  to  make  a  home  and  give 
me  children.  And,  Dick,  with  all  that  million  of  mine 
I  don't  know  where  to  look  for  her." 

"  She  '11  come,"  Dauncey  declared  encouragingly. 
*'  She  is  sure  to  come.  You  are  young  and  you  'II 
keep  young.     You  live  like  a  man,  of  course,  but  it 's 


JACOB'S  LADDER  157 

a  sober,  self-respecting  life.  You  've  heaps  of  time. 
And  that  reminds  me.  Could  you  join  us  in  a  httle 
celebration  to-night?  My  wife  has  a  cousin  from  the 
country  staying  with  her,  and  I  have  promised  to 
take  them  out  to  dine  and  to  a  show." 

"  I  have  nothing  to  do,"  Jacob  replied.     "  I  shall 
be  delighted." 

It  was  a  little  too  obvious.  Nora's  cousin 
from  the  country,  a  very  nice  and  estimable  person 
in  her  way,  was  not  equal  to  the  occasion.  She  wore 
her  ill-fitting  clothes  without  grace  or  confidence. 
She  giggled  repeatedly,  and  her  eyes  seldom  left 
Jacob's,  as  though  all  the  time  she  were  bidding  for 
his  approval.  She  was  just  well  enough  looking  and 
no  more,  the  sort  of  woman  who  would  have  looked 
almost  pretty  on  her  wedding  day,  a  little  dowdy 
most  of  the  time  during  the  next  five  years,  and 
either  a  drudge  or  a  nuisance  afterwards,  according 
to  her  circumstances.  Jacob  was  very  polite  and 
very  glad  when  the  evening  was  over.  His  host 
wrung  his  hand  as  they  parted. 

"  Not  my  fault,  old  chap,"  he  whispered.  "  Nora 
would  tr}^  it.  She  had  n't  seen  Margaret  for  three 
or  four  years." 

"  That 's  all  right,  Dick,"  Jacob  answered,  with 
unconvincing  cheerfulness.     "  Very  pleasant  time." 

Jacob  had  endured  a  cheap  dinner  at  a  popular 
restaurant  and  circle  seats  at  a  music  hall  with  un- 
complaining good  humour,  but  the  evening,  if  any- 


158  JACOB'S  LADDER 

thing,  had  increased  his  depression.  He  wandered 
into  one  of  the  clubs  of  which  he  was  a  member,  only 
to  find  there  was  not  a  soul  there  whom  he  had  ever 
seen  before  in  his  life.  He  came  out  within  half  an 
hour,  but  a  spirit  of  unrest  had  seized  him.  Instead 
of  going  up  to  his  rooms,  he  wandered  into  the  foyer 
of  the  great  hotel,  in  the  private  part  of  which  his 
suite  was  situated,  and  watched  the  people  coming 
out  from  supper.  Again,  as  he  sat  alone,  he  was 
conscious  of  that  feeling  of  isolation.  Every  man 
seemed  to  be  accompanied  by  a  woman  who  for  the 
moment,  at  any  rate,  was  content  to  give  her  whole 
attention  to  the  task  of  entertaining  her  companion. 
There  were  little  parties,  older  people  some  of  them, 
but  always  with  that  connecting  link  of  friendship 
and  good-fellowship.  Jacob  sat  grimly  back  in  the 
shadows  and  watched.  Perhaps  it  would  have  been 
better,  he  thought,  if  he  had  remained  a  poor  trav- 
eller. He  would  have  found  some  little,  hardly  used, 
teashop  waitress,  or  perhaps  the  daughter  of  one  of 
his  customers,  or  a  little  shopgirl  whom  he  had  hustled 
in  the  Tube,  —  some  one  whose  life  might  have 
touched  his  and  brought  into  it  the  genial  flavour 
of  companionship.     As  it  was  — 

"  If  it  is  n't  Mr.  Pratt !  " 

He  started.  One  of  the  very  smartest  of  the  little 
crowd  who  flowed  around  him  had  paused  before  his 
chair.     He  rose  to  his  feet. 

"  Lady  Powers  !  "  he  exclaimed. 


JACOB'S   LADDER  159 

"  Ancient  history,"  she  confided.  "  I  have  been 
married  weeks  —  it  seems  ages.  This  is  my  husband 
—  Mr.  Frank  Lloyd." 

Jacob  found  himself  shaking  hands  with  a  vacuous- 
looking  youth  who  turned  away  again  almost  imme- 
diately to  speak  to  some  acquaintances. 

"  You  don't  bear  me  any  ill-will,  Mr.  Pratt?  " 

"  None  except  that  broken  dinner  engagement,"  he 
replied. 

"  I  wrote  to  you,"  she  reminded  him.  "  I  did  not 
dare  to  come  after  the  way  those  others  had  be- 
haved." 

He  sighed.     "  All  the  same  I  was  disappointed." 

She  made  a  little  grimace.  Her  husband  was  bid- 
ding farewell  to  his  friends.  She  leaned  towards  him 
confidentially. 

"  Perhaps  if  I  had,"  she  whispered,  "  there  would 
have  been  no  Mr.  Frank  Lloyd.".  .  . 

Back  to  his  chair  and  solitude.  Jacob  made  his 
way  presently  through  the  darkened  rooms  and  pas- 
sages to  his  own  apartments,  where  a  servant  was 
waiting  for  him,  the  evening  papers  were  laid  out, 
whisky  and  soda  and  sandwiches  were  on  the  side- 
board. His  valet  relieved  him  of  his  dresscoat  and 
smoothed  the  smoking  jacket  around  him. 

"  Anything  more  I  can  do  for  you  to-night,  sir.''  " 

Jacob  looked  around  the  empty  room,  looked  at  his 
luxurious  single  easy-chair,  at  all  the  resources  of 
comfort  provided  for  him,  and  shook  his  head. 


160  JACOB'S   LADDER 

"  Nothing,  Richards,"  he  answered  shortlj. 
"  Good  night !  " 

"  Good  night,  sir !  " 

Jacob  subsided  into  the  easy-chair,  filled  his  pipe 
mechanically,  lit  and  smoked  it  mechanically,  knocked 
out  the  ashes  when  he  had  finished  it,  turned  out  the 
lights  and  passed  into  his  bedroom,  undressed  and 
went  to  bed,  still  without  any  interest  or  thought  for 
what  he  was  doing.  When  he  found  himself  still 
awake  in  a  couple  of  hours'  time,  he  took  himself  to 
task  fiercely. 

*'  Tliis  is  liver,"  he  muttered.  "  I  shall  now  relax, 
take  twelve  deep  breaths,  and  sleep." 

Which  he  did. 


CHAPTER    XVI 

Spring  came,  and  Jacob  found  the  monotony  of 
life  relieved  by  a  leisurely  motor  trip  through  the 
south  of  England,  during  which  he  stopped  to  play 
golf  occasionally  at  various  well-known  courses.  He 
returned  to  London  in  June,  and  on  the  second  day  of 
Ascot  he  came  across  Felixstowe,  for  the  first  time 
since  their  meeting  in  Monte  Carlo.  The  young 
man's  greeting  was  breezy  and  devoid  of  any  em- 
barrassment. The  little  matter  of  the  pony  did  not 
appear  to  trouble  him. 

"  Jacob,  old  heart !  "  he  exclaimed,  leaning  on  his 
malacca  cane  and  pushing  his  silk  hat  a  little  farther 
back  on  his  head.  "  God  bless  you,  my  bloated  cap- 
italist !  Three  times  have  I  rung  up  your  office  in 
vain.     Where  have  you  been  to,  these  days?  " 

"  Getting  about  as  usual,"  was  the  modest  reply. 
"  In  the  country,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  for  the  last 
few  weeks." 

The  young  man  considered  his  friend's  attire  and 
nodded  approvingly. 


162  JACOB'S   LADDER 

"  Quite  the  Ascot  touch,"  he  observed.  "  You 
can't  get  the  perfect  sweep  of  the  coat  with  your  fig- 
ure, but  on  the  whole  your  man  's  done  you  proud. 
Here  alone?  " 

"  Quite  alone." 

"  Tell  you  what,  then,  I  '11  introduce  you  to  my 
people.     Best  leg  forward,  old  buck." 

Jacob  followed  his  guide  back  through  the  tunnel, 
into  the  stand,  up  the  stairs,  and  into  a  box  on  the 
second  tier.     The  introduction  was  informal. 

"  Mother,  want  to  introduce  a  pal  —  Mr.  Jacob 
Pratt  —  Marchioness  of  Delchester  —  my  sister, 
Lady  Mary  —  dad.  Now  you  know  the  family. 
What 's  doing  up  here?  " 

The  Marchioness,  a  handsome,  thin-faced  lady  of 
advanced  middle  age,  whose  Ascot  toilette  was  pro- 
tected from  the  possible  exigencies  of  the  climate  by 
an  all-enclosing  dust  coat,  held  out  her  hand  feebly 
and  murmured  a  word  of  greeting.  The  Marquis,  a 
tall,  spare  person,  with  aquiline  nose  and  almost  hawk- 
like features,  welcomed  him  with  a  shade  of  dubious- 
ness. Jacob  felt  a  little  thrill,  however,  as  he  bowed 
over  Lady  Mary's  fingers.  Her  eyes  were  blue,  and 
though  her  complexion  was  fairer  and  her  manner 
more  gracious,  there  was  something  in  the  curve  of 
her  lips  which  reminded  him  of  Sybil. 

"  Do  tell  me,  do  you  know  anything  for  the  next 
race,  Mr.  Pratt?  "  she  asked.  "  I  had  such  a  rotten 
day  yesterda}'." 


JACOB'S   LADDER  163 

"  I  'm  not  a  racing  man,"  Jacob  replied,  "  but  I 
was  told  that  Gerrard's  Cross  was  a  good  thing." 

There  was  a  general  consultation  of  racing  cards. 
The  Marquis  studied  the  starting  board  through  his 
glasses. 

"  Gerrard's  Cross  is  a  starter,"  he  announced, 
"ridden  bj  Brown,  colours  brown  and  green.  Be- 
longs to  Exminster,  I  see.  Nine  to  one  they  seem  to 
be  offering  in  the  ring." 

"  I  want  a  sovereign  on,"  Lady  Mary  decided. 
"  Hurry,  Jack !  " 

"  Nothing  doing,  child  of  my  heart,"  the  young 
man    sighed.      "  Cleaned    out    my    pocketbook    last 


race." 


The  young  lady  turned  to  her  parents,  who  both 
seemed  suddenly  absorbed  in  the  crowd  below. 

"Bother!"  she  exclaimed.  "And  the  numbers 
are  up  already !  " 

"  Will  you  allow  me?  "  Jacob  ventured,  producing 
his  pocketbook  and  handing  a  five-pound  note  to  Fe- 
lixstowe.    "  You  '11  have  to  hurry." 

Lady  Mary  smiled  at  him  sweetly  and  abandoned  a 
furtive  attempt  to  open  her  bag. 

"  Do  you  go  to  many  race  meetings,  Mr.  Pratt.?  " 
she  asked. 

He  shook  his  head. 

"  Very  few,"  he  answered.  "  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
this  is  my  first  Ascot." 

She  looked  at  him  in  surprise. 


164  JACOB'S   LADDER 

"  Are  you  an  American,  then,  or  Colonial?  " 

"  No,  I  am  English,  but  it  is  only  during  the  last 
year  or  so  tliat  I  have  had  any  time  or  money  to 
spare  for  amusements  of  this  sort." 

"  How  interesting!  "  she  murmured  a  little  vaguely. 
"  Now  tell  me,  have  they  started?     We  must  watch." 

Tlie  race  was  a  good  one.  In  the  last  stretch, 
Gerrard's  Cross  came  away  and  won  easily  by  three 
lengths.  There  was  a  scene  of  measured  enthusiasm 
in  the  little  box. 

"  Your  horse  has  won,  my  dear,"  the  Marquis  in- 
formed his  daughter,  lowering  his  glasses.  "  I  con- 
gratulate you." 

The  Marchioness  indicated  her  approval  by  a  more 
or  less  genial  smile.  Lady  Mary's  blue  eyes  danced 
with  pleasure. 

"  You  dear  person,  Mr.  Pratt !  "  she  exclaimed. 
"  This  is  my  first  winner,  and  I  did  want  one  so  badly. 
I  wonder  what  price  Jack  will  get." 

The  young  man  returned  presently  with  a  bundle 
of  notes  in  his  hand. 

"  Nines  I  got,"  he  announced.  "  Here 's  your 
fiver,  Jacob.  Forty-five  of  the  best  for  you,  Mary. 
Lucky  old  dear !  " 

The  girl  grasped  the  notes  joyfully. 

"But  surely  these  aren't  all  mine?  I  said  one 
pound.     Some  of  this  must  belong  to  Mr.  Pratt?  " 

Jacob  shook  his  head,  interrupting  Felixstowe's 
reluctant  confirmation. 


JACOB'S   LADDER  165 

"  Not  at  all,"  he  protested  politely.  "  As  a  mat- 
ter of  fact,  I  have  won  a  great  deal  of  money  myself 
on  the  race.  I  gave  your  brother  a  five-pound  note 
because  I  could  not  find  a  smaller  one.  So  much  the 
better  for  you." 

The  girl  gave  a  little  sigh  of  content.  Jacob, 
turning  around,  was  suddenly  aware  of  a  look  of  re- 
lief on  the  part  of  her  distinguished  father  and 
mother.  The  latter  smiled  approvingly  at  Jacob, 
who  was  preparing  to  take  his  leave. 

"  You  must  come  and  call  some  afternoon,  Mr. 
Pratt,"  she  said  graciously.  "  We  shall  be  glad  to 
see  you  in  Belgrave  Square." 

"  I  shall  be  very  pleased,"  Jacob  replied. 

"  And  thank  you,"  Lady  Mary  whispered. 

Jacob  had  made  his  farewells ;  he  had  almost 
reached  the  door.  Felixstowe,  leaning  towards  his 
mother,  whispered  behind  his  hand,  "Millionaire! 
Rolling  in  it !  " 

The  Marchioness  was  a  woman  of  rare  presence 
of  mind.  She  addressed  the  departing  guest  quite 
softly,  with  no  signs  of  flurry,  but  with  a  new  note  of 
graciousness.     Jacob  paused  upon  the  threshold. 

"  Mr.  Pratt,"  she  invited,  "  won't  you  come  and 
dine  with  us  one  evening?  I  know  how  men  hate 
afternoon  calls.  Next  Thursday  night,  at  eight 
o'clock?" 

"  Do  come,"  Lady  Mary  begged,  still  grasping 
her  notes. 


166  JACOB'S  LADDER  ' 

"  Very  glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  Pratt,"  the  Marquis 
added,  with  a  little  bow  which  was  a  model  of  deport- 
ment. 

Felixstowe  walked  down  the  wooden  stairs  with  his 
departing  guest,  who  had  murmured  his  grateful  ac- 
ceptance. 

"  You  've  hit  it  up  all  right  with  the  old  folks  at 
home,"  he  confided.  "  Between  you  and  me,  that 
forty-five  quid  is  about  the  only  ready  there  is  in  the 
house.  Bet  you  they  're  snaffling  it  at  the  present 
moment.  What  a  life  it  must  be  to  have  plenty  of 
the  dibs,  Jacob !  So  long,  old  bean.  See  you  Thurs- 
day.    Hullo,  what 's  that?  " 

The  two  men  looked  back  up  the  wooden  staircase. 
Lady  Mary  was  slowly  descending  towards  them. 

"  I  am  to  be  taken  for  a  walk,"  she  announced 
sedately,  "  on  the  lawn,  if  possible.  And  if  either  of 
you  feel  inclined  to  save  the  life  of  a  young  girl, 
perhaps  you  will  give  her  something  cool  to  drink." 

Jacob  hesitated  for  a  moment,  but  Lady  Mary's 
smile  so  obviously  included  him  that  he  ventured  to 
remain.  They  crossed  the  lawn  and  found  an  empty 
table  within  hearing  of  the  band.  Jacob  ordered 
strawberries  and  cream,  ice  cream  and  champagne 
cup  with  reckless  prodigality.  The  girl  laughed 
softly. 

"  How  deliciously  greedy  it  all  sounds,"  she  mur- 
mured, "  and  how  much  nicer  this  is  than  that  stuffy 
box!  — Jack!" 


JACOB'S  LADDER  167 

Felixstowe,  however,  was  on  his  feet,  waving  to 
some  one  in  the  distance. 

"  There  's  Nat  Pooley  !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Knows 
every  winner  to  a  cert.  I  've  been  looking  for  him  all 
day.     Look  after  my  sister,  Pratt,  old  thing." 

He  dived  into  the  crowd  and  disappeared.  Lady 
Mary  smiled  at  her  companion. 

"  I  am  foist  upon  you,  Mr.  Pratt,"  she  said. 

"  I  am  very  much  the  gainer,"  he  assured  her.  "  I 
was  feeling  unusually  lonely  when  I  met  your 
brother." 

"  Well,  I  've  had  rather  a  stuffy  time  of  it  myself," 
she  acknowledged.  "  You  see,  I  have  on  a  new  dress, 
and  mother  was  afraid  it  was  going  to  rain.  And 
then  Jack  deserted  us,  and  there  was  no  one  for  me 
to  come  out  with.  How  do  you  like  my  frock,  Mr. 
Pratt?" 

"  I  think  jou  look  nicer  than  any  one  I  've  seen 
here,"  Jacob  replied  sincerely. 

She  laughed. 

"  I  hope  you  mean  it.  You  must  eat  some  straw- 
berries, please,"  she  begged.  "  Please  do,  or  I  shall 
feel  so  greedy.  I  had  no  idea  one  could  get  such 
good  things  here." 

Jacob  did  as  he  was  told,  drank  some  champagne 
cup,  lit  a  cigarette,  and  began  to  realise  that  he  was 
having  a  very  pleasant  time.  Lady  Mary  chattered 
on  gaily,  telling  Jacob  who  many  of  the  people  were 
and  exchanging  greetings  with  a  number  of  friends. 


168  JACOB'S  LADDER 

Presently,  at  her  suggestion,  they  walked  in  the  pad- 
dock, where  she  pointed  out  to  him  the  most  wonder- 
ful of  the  toilettes,  and  it  was  not  until  the  bell  rang 
for  the  last  race  that  they  climbed  the  steps  once  more 
to  the  box. 

"  I  have  enjoyed  myself  more,"  she  declared,  "  than 
any  day  tliis  week.  Thank  you  so  much  for  looking 
after  me,  Mr.  Pratt." 

"  It  has  been  a  great  pleasure,"  Jacob  assured  her. 
"  I  hope  I  have  n't  kept  you  too  long,  and  that  your 
people  won't  be  annoyed." 

The  Marchioness,  however,  received  them  without 
any  sign  of  displeasure  and  listened  complacently  to 
her  daughter's  account  of  their  doings. 

"  So  nice  of  you,  Mr.  Pratt,"  she  said,  "  to  have 
looked  after  Lady  Mary.  So  many  of  our  friends 
are  not  down  to-day  that  I  am  sure  she  would  have 
had  quite  a  dull  time  but  for  you.  We  shall  see  you 
on  Thursday." 

"  With  great  pleasure,"  Jacob  answered  truth- 
fully. 


CHAPTER    XVII 

"  The  aristocracy,"  Dauncey  remarked  the  next 
morning,  as  he  brought  Jacob  his  private  letters,  "  is 
sitting  up  and  taking  notice  of  us.      Two  coronets !  " 

"Anything  in  the  rest  of  the  correspondence?" 
Jacob  enquired,  as  he  opened  his  desk  and  made  him- 
self comfortable. 

"  Nothing  worth  your  troubling  about.  Five  ot 
six  addle-headed  schemes  for  getting  rid  of  your 
mone}',  and  about  as  many  bucket  shop  prospec- 
tuses." 

Jacob  opened  the  first  of  his  two  letters.  It  was 
dated  from  Belgrave  Square  and  was  simply  a  cordial 
reminder  from  the  Marchioness  of  his  promise  to 
dine  at  Delchester  House  on  the  following  Thursday. 
The  second  was  dated  from  the  same  address,  and 
Jacob  read  it  over  twice  before  he  came  to  a  decision. 

Dear  Mr.  Pratt, 

I  know  you  wiU  think  me  very  foolish,  but  I  am  feel- 
ing most  unhappy  about  the  money  which  I  thought- 
lessly accepted  this  afternoon.  It  was  really  only  a 
sovereign  I  asked  you  to  put  on  Gerrard's  Cross  for 


170  JACOB'S  LADDER 

me,  and  the  remainder  of  the  money,  except  nine 
pounds,  surely  belongs  to  you. 

Are  you,  by  any  chance,  ever  near  Kensington 
Gardens  about  twelve  o'clock?  I  walk  there  most 
mornings,  and  I  should  feel  so  much  happier  if  I 
could  have  just  a  word  with  you  about  this. 

Please  don't  think  I  am  quite  mad. 

Sincerely  yours, 

Mary  Felixstowe. 

Jacob  dictated  a  few  letters,  studied  his  stock- 
broker's Ust  for  half  an  hour,  and  drove  to  Kensing- 
ton Gardens.  Lady  Mary  was  almost  the  first  per- 
son he  saw.  She  greeted  him  with  a  friendly  little 
nod  and  led  him  from  the  broad  avenue  into  one  of 
the  narrower  paths.  From  the  first  he  had  been 
aware  that  Lady  Mary,  escaped  from  the  shadow 
of  her  parents,  was  a  very  different  person. 

"  Well?  "  she  asked,  smiling  at  him,  "  what  did  you 
think  of  my  ingenuous  little  letter?  " 

Jacob  glanced  at  her  doubtfully.  He  had  the  im- 
pression that  she  was  reading  his  thoughts. 

"  You  probably  decided  that  it  would  amuse  you  to 
fall  in  with  the  scheme,"  she  continued,  "  although  I 
expect  you  saw  through  it  quite  easily.  Well,  the 
scheme  does  n't  really  exist.  My  mother  dictated  the 
letter  and  I  wrote  it.  I  have  n't  the  least  idea  of  giv- 
ing you  back  a  penny  of  that  money  —  in  fact,  it 's 
all  spent  already.  Still,  if  you  like,  you  can  think 
of  me  as  the  ingenue  with  a  conscience,  who  wants  re- 


JACOB'S  LADDER  171 

assuring  but  does  n't  want  to  part.  That  was  my 
role." 

"  I  see  that  you  have  your  brother's  sense  of 
humour,"  he  remarked. 

"  Heaven  knows  where  we  got  it  from !  "  she  ex- 
claimed. "  Mother's  idea  appears  to  be  that,  as  a 
result  of  this  clandestine  interview,  I  am  to  walk  in 
Kensington  Gardens  with  you  every  morning  until 
one  day  we  find  ourselves  late  for  luncheon  and  you 
take  me  to  a  restaurant.  Compromising  situation 
number  one.  Intoxicated  with  pleasure,  I  hint  — 
you  not  being  supposed  to  notice  that  it  is  a  hint  — 
at  a  dinner  and  theatre.  We  go,  are  discovered,  my 
mother  asks  j'our  intentions.  Behold  me,  Lady  Mary 
Pratt,  restoring  the  family  to  a  condition  of  af- 
fluence." 

Jacob  laughed  till  the  tears  stood  in  his  e^'es. 

"  The  idea  does  n't  seem  to  appeal  to  you !  " 

"  Not  a  bit,"  she  answered  frankly.  "  I  like  you 
very  much  —  I  like  the  little  crease  about  your  eyes, 
which  deepens  when  you  laugh.  And  I  like  your 
mouth.  But  as  a  matter  of  fact,  I  'm  rather  in  love 
with  some  one  else,  and  I  'm  going  to  marry  him  soon. 
He  's  got  quite  enough  money  for  me,  although  he 
can't  carry  the  family." 

Jacob  sighed. 

"  I  am  in  the  same  position,"  he  confessed,  "  only 
the  girl  I  'm  in  love  with  won't  have  anything  to  say 
to  me." 


172  JACOB'S  LADDER 

Two  pudgy  little  children  suddenly  deserted  their 
attendant  and  rushed  at  Lady  Mary.  While  she 
was  returning  their  embraces,  Jacob  stood  transfixed. 
So  did  the  attendant. 

"  Miss  Bultiwell !  "  he  gasped. 

«  Jacob  Pratt !  " 

Lady  Mary  looked  up. 

*'  So  you  two  know  one  another?  " 

"  Young  lady  I  was  just  telling  you  about,"  Jacob 
confided. 

Lady  Mary  held  out  a  hand  to  each  of  her  small 
nieces. 

"  May  I  have  the  children  for  a  few  minutes,  Miss 
Bultiwell,  please?"  she  begged.  "You  come  along 
with  Mr.  Pratt." 

Sybil's  response  was  scarcely  gracious.  She  ac- 
cepted the  situation,  however,  and  walked  slowly  bj 
Jacob's  side. 

"  I  'm  very  glad  to  see  you,  Miss  Bultiwell,"  he 
ventured. 

"  Sorry  I  can't  say  the  same,"  she  replied. 

*'  Is  there  any  reason,"  he  asked  desperately,  "  why 
you  should  n't  treat  me  like  an  ordinary  human  be- 
ing? " 

"  There  is." 

"What  is  it?" 

"  You  know." 

«  I  'm  damned  if  I  do !  " 

She  glanced  at  him  without  any  sign  of  offence. 


JACOB'S  LADDER  173 

"  What  are  you  doing  walking  with  Lady  Mary  in 
Kensington  Gardens  at  this  time  of  the  morning?  '* 
she  enquired. 

"  Her  mother's  idea,"  Jacob  explained.  "  Noth- 
ing to  do  with  us." 

She  regarded  him  thoughtfully. 

"  I  suppose  you  're  to  marry  Lady  Mary  and  re- 
deem the  family  fortunes  !  " 

"  The  idea  does  n't  appeal  to  either  of  us,"  he  as- 
sured her.  "  Lady  Mary  has  just  confided  to  me 
that  she  is  in  love  AVTith  some  one  else,  and  I  have  made 
a  similar  confession  to  her." 

"  Are  3'ou  in  love  with  some  one  else.?  " 

"  Yes !  " 

"Who?     Me?" 

"  Yes !  " 

"  Is  there  any  sense,"  she  demanded,  "  in  being  in 
love  with  a  person  who,  as  you  perfectly  well  know, 
thoroughly  dislikes  and  detests  you?  " 

"  There  's  no  sense  in  love  at  all,"  Jacob  groaned. 

"  If  we  must  talk,"  Sybil  suggested,  quickening 
her  pace  a  little,  "  let  us  talk  of  sometliing  else.  How 
are  you  enjoying  your  millions?  " 

"  Not  at  all." 

"Why  not?" 

"  I  'm  lonely." 

"  Poor  man !  "  she  scoffed. 

Lady  Mary  rejoined  them. 

"  Well,  I  must  go,"  she  announced.     "  Take  me 


174  JACOB'S  LADDER 

to  the  gates,  won't  you,  Mr.  Pratt?  Good-by,  Miss 
Bultiwell.  How  these  children  have  improved  since 
you  liad  the  charge  of  them." 

"  Au  revoir.  Miss  Bultiwell,"  Jacob  ventured. 

She  leaned  towards  him  as  he  turned  to  follow 
Lady  Mary. 

"  If  you  come  back,"  she  whispered  threateningly, 
*'  it  will  cost  me  my  situation  and  I  will  never  speak 
to  you  again." 

"  I  won't  come,"  he  promised  sadly, 

"  She 's  a  charming  girl,"  Lady  Mary  said. 
"  Why  won't  she  have  you  ?  " 

"  It 's  a  long  story,"  Jacob  sighed. 

"  We  '11  see  what  we  can  do  on  Thursday  night," 
she  reflected.  "  Good-by !  I  shall  tell  mother  we 
are  getting  along  famously.  Don't  forget  Thursday 
at  eight  o'clock." 

The  drawing-room  at  Delchester  House  was  large 
and  in  its  way  magnificent,  although  there  was  in  the 
atmosphere  that  faint,  musty  odour,  as  though  hol- 
land  covers  had  just  been  removed  from  the  furni- 
ture, and  the  place  only  recently  prepared  for  habi- 
tation. The  Marchioness,  who  was  alone,  greeted 
Jacob  with  much  cordiality. 

"  I  hope  you  won't  mind  our  not  having  a  party  for 
you,  Mr.  Pratt,"  she  said.  "  We  are  just  ourselves, 
and  a  quaint  person  whom  Delchester  has  picked  up 
in  the  city,  some  one  who  is  going  to  help  him  make 


JACOB'S   LADDER  175 

some  money,  I  hope.  You  have  no  idea,  Mr.  Pratt, 
how  hard  things  are  to-day  for  people  with  inherited 
estates." 

Jacob  murmured  a  word  of  sympathy.  Then  the 
Marquis  appeared,  followed  by  Lady  Mary,  who  drew 
him  to  one  side  to  ask  him  questions  about  Sybil; 
next  came  Felixstowe,  who  looked  in  to  say  "  How  do 
you  do  "  on  his  way  to  dine  with  a  friend ;  and  finally, 
to  Jacob's  amazement,  the  butler  announced,  *'  Mr. 
Dane  Montague !  " 

Mr.  Dane  Montague,  in  a  new  dress  suit,  his  hair 
treated  by  a  West  End  hairdresser,  had  a  generally 
toned-down  appearance.  Jacob  was  conscious  of  a 
sensation  of  genuine  admiration  when,  upon  the  in- 
troduction being  effected,  the  newcomer  held  out  his 
hand  without  the  slightest  embarrassment. 

"  I  have  the  pleasure  of  knowing  Mr.  Pratt,"  he 
announced.  "  We  have,  in  fact,  carried  through  a 
little  business  deal  together.  Not  such  a  bad  one, 
either,  eh,  Mr.  Pratt?  A  few  thousands  each,  or 
something  of  that  sort,  if  I  remember  rightly.  Even 
a  few  thousands  are  worth  picking  up  for  us  city 
men,  Marquis,"  he  added,  turning  to  Lord  Delchester. 

The  Marquis'  eyes  glistened.  His  face  seemed 
more  hawklike  than  ever. 

*'  I  should  be  exceedingly  grateful  to  any  one  who 
showed  me  how  to  make  a  few  thousands,"  he  de- 
clared. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Pratt  and  I  between  us  ought  to  find 


176  JACOB'S  LADDER 

that  easy  enough,"  the  financier  observed.  "  Treat 
the  City  right,  pat  and  stroke  her  the  right  way,  and 
she  '11  yield  you  all  you  ask  for.  Buck  up  against 
her  and  she  'd  down  a  Rothschild." 

Dinner  was  a  quaint  meal.  Mr.  Dane  Montague 
engaged  his  hostess'  attention  with  fragments  of 
stilted  conversation,  the  Marquis  was  almost  entirely 
silent,  and  Lady  Mary  monopolised  Jacob,  except  for 
a  few  moments  when  her  mother  alluded  to  the  sub- 
ject of  the  letter. 

"  Dear  Mary  is  so  conscientious,"  she  murmured. 
"  She  positively  could  n't  rest  until  she  had  had  it 
out  with  you." 

Jacob  stammered  some  sort  of  answer,  which 
was  none  the  more  coherent  because  of  the  kick  under 
the  table  with  wliich  Lady  Mary  favoured  him. 
Afterwards  she  continued  to  carry  out  the  parental 
behest  and  again  completely  absorbed  his  attention. 
She  wound  up  by  lingering  behind,  as  he  held  open 
the  door  at  the  conclusion  of  dinner,  and  whispering 
audaciously  in  his  ear. 

"  We  're  getting  on  too  well,  you  know.  You  'd 
better  be  careful,  or  I  shall  be  Lady  Mary  Pratt, 
after  all !  " 

The  Marquis  moved  his  chair  down  to  the  side  of 
Jacob's,  on  the  latter's  return  to  the  table. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you  on  such  excellent  terms 
with  my  daughter,  Mr.  Pratt,"  he  observed  with  a 
smile. 


JACOB'S   LADDER  177 

"  Lady  Mary  is  most  gracious,"  Jacob  murmured 
uneasily. 

"  My  son,  too,"  the  Marquis  continued,  "  has  al- 
ways spoken  to  me  highly'  of  your  sagacity  in  busi- 
ness affairs.  I  understand  that  you  are  one  of  those 
fortunate  people  who  have  amassed  a  large  fortune  in 
a  very  short  space  of  time." 

"  I  cannot  take  an}'  of  the  credit  to  myself,"  Jacob 
replied.  "  I  invested  a  little  money  with  my  brother, 
who  was  prospecting  for  oil  in  the  western  States  of 
America,  and  he  met  with  the  most  amazing  success." 

The  Marquis  himself  filled  Jacob's  glass. 

"  I  hope  you  like  my  port,"  he  said.  "  It  Avas 
laid  down  by  my  father  when  he  was  a  young  man. 
My  cellar  is  one  of  the  last  of  the  family  treasures 
remaining  to  us." 

"  I  have  never  tasted  anything  like  it,"  Jacob  ad- 
mitted trutlifully. 

"  Returning  to  the  subject  of  commercial  life," 
his  host  went  on,  "  I  have  always  hoped  that  I  might 
have  introduced  m}'  son,  Felixstowe,  into  some  remu- 
nerative post.  Automobiles,  the\'  tell  me,  may  be 
made  a  profitable  source  of  income.  Do  you  happen 
to  have  any  investments  in  that  direction,  Mr. 
Pratt?" 

"  Not  at  present,"  Jacob  answered.  "  The  indus- 
try is,  I  believe,  a  sound  one." 

"  Ah !  "  the  Marquis  regretted.  "  At  some  future 
time,  perhaps.     I  myself  am  much  interested  in  Cit/ 


178  JACOB'S   LADDER 

affairs.  Our  friend,  Mr.  Dane  ^Montague,  has  kindly 
placed  me  upon  the  board  of  one  of  his  companies, 
and  if  another  company  in  which  he  is  interested  is 
floated,  I  am  also  to  join  that.  The  fees  so  far  have 
not  been  munificent,  but  it  is  encouraging  to  have 
made  a  start." 

Jacob  muttered  something  non-committal.  Mr. 
Dane  Montague  leaned  across  the  table.  He  had 
been  listening  to  every  v.ord  of  the  conversation  be- 
tween the  two. 

"  You  are  a  person  of  imagination,  Mr.  Pratt,"  he 
said.  "  I  gathered  that  from  our  brief  business  con- 
nection." 

"Did  you.^  "  Jacob  replied.  "I  had  rather  an 
idea  —  " 

"  Don't  say  a  word,"  the  other  interrupted.  "  We 
had  a  little  tussle,  I  admit.  Brain  against  brain,  and 
you  won.  I  have  never  borne  you  any  malice  —  in 
fact  I  should  be  proud  to  be  associated  in  another 
business  venture  with  you." 

The  Marquis  cleared  his  throat.  "• 

*'  I  asked  Mr.  Pratt  to  meet  you  this  evening,  Mr. 
Montague,"  he  said,  "  not  knowing  that  you  were 
previously  acquainted,  but  thinking  that  you  might 
like  to  put  your  latest  scheme  before  him." 

"  I  shall  be  proud  to  do  so,"  was  the  prompt 
declaration.  "  My  latest  scheme,  Mr.  Pratt,  is  simple 
enough.  I  propose  to  appeal  to  the  credulity  of  the 
British  middle  classes.     I  propose  to  form  a  sort  of 


JACOB'S   LADDER  179 

home  university  for  the  study  of  foreign  lan^uuf^es 
and  dispense  instruction  by  means  of  pamphlets." 

"  I  don't  mean  that  one,"  the  Marquis  interposed. 
"  I  mean  tlie  little  scheme,  the  —  er  —  one  where  a 
certain  amount  of  remuneration  in  the  shape  of  com- 
mission was  to  be  fortlicoming  for  the  introduction 
of  further  cajjital.     You  follow  me,  I  am  sure?  " 

Mr.  Montaf^ue's  face  was  furrowed  witii  thought. 
He  sipped  his  wine  and  looked  across  at  Jacob  fur- 
tively. A  certain  uneasiness  was  mingled  with  his 
natural  optimism. 

"  I  am  afraid,"  he  said,  "  that  Mr.  Pratt  is  too  big 
a  man  for  us.  What  about  your  brother-in-law, 
Lord  William  Tliorndyke.^  " 

The  Marquis  coughed. 

"I  think,"  he  pronounced,  "that  I  have  already 
been  too  benevolent  to  the  members  of  my  immediate 
family  circle.  Besides,  it  would  be  quite  impossible 
to  ensure  from  my  brother-in-law  that  measure  of 
secrecy  which  the  circumstances  demand." 

Mr.  Montague  took  another  glass  of  wine  and  ap- 
peared to  gain  courage. 

"  It 's  quite  a  small  affair,  this,  Pratt,"  he  warned 
him. 

"  As  a  matter  of  fact,"  Jacob  declared,  "  I  am 
really  not  looking  for  investments  at  all  at  the  mo- 
ment." 

"  No  one  is  ever  looking  for  investments,"  liis 
vis-a-vis  rejoined.     "  On  the  other  hand,  no  man  with 


180  JACOB'S  LADDER 

large  means  sees  a  gold  mine  opening  at  his  feet  with- 
out wanting  to  have  his  whack.  If  you  see  our  little 
venture  with  the  same  eyes  as  we  do,  Mr.  Pratt,  it  is 
better  for  you  to  understand  from  the  first  that 
yours  must  be  a  very  small  whack." 

*'  Had  n't  you  better  explain  the  scheme  to  Mr. 
Pratt.'*  "  the  Marquis  suggested. 

Mr.  Dane  Montague  nodded.  First  of  all,  how- 
ever, he  rose  to  his  feet,  promenaded  the  room,  peer- 
ing into  its  darker  recesses  to  be  sure  that  no  one  was 
lurking  there,  opened  the  door,  looked  down  the  pas- 
sage, closed  it  again,  and  finally  returned  to  his  seat. 
He  then  dropped  his  bomb. 

"  I  am  in  possession,"  he  announced  solemnly,  "  of 
an  undertaking  from  the  owner  of  the  Empress  Music 
Hall  to  sell  me  the  property." 

"  For  how  much.''  "  Jacob  asked. 

"  For  fifty  thousand  pounds,  including  the  free- 
hold.    Hush!     Not  another  word  for  the  moment." 

The  butler  entered  with  coffee  and  liqueurs,  and  the 
Marquis  directed  the  conversation  into  other  chan- 
nels. As  soon  as  they  were  alone  again,  Mr.  Mon- 
tague leaned  forward  across  the  table,  his  cigar  in 
the  corner  of  his  mouth. 

"  You  must  n't  ask  too  many  questions  about  this, 
Pratt,"  he  enjoined.  "  The  undertaking  was  given 
to  me  in  a  fit  of  temper  after  a  family  row,  and  with 
the  sole  view  of  spiting  others.  The  date  fixed  for 
the  completion  of  the  sale  is  to-morrow.     I  have  con- 


JACOB'S   LADDER  181 

tributed  half  the  purchase  money  myself.  The  re- 
mainder has  been  distributed  amongst  my  own 
friends,  and  it  has  been  my  privilege  to  allow  the 
Marquis  and  some  of  his  relatives  to  acquire  an  in- 
terest. To  make  up  the  full  amount,  a  sum  of  seven 
thousand  pounds  is  required.  This  I  can  get  from  a 
dozen  people  as  soon  as  the  office  is  open  in  the  Citj 
to-morrow  morning,  but  I  promised  the  Marquis  here 
to  give  him  a  chance  of  placing  this  amount  also  with 
one  of  his  friends.  I  must  confess,"  Mr.  Montague 
went  on  candidly,  "  that  I  took  that  to  mean  one  of 
his  —  er  —  personal  friends  —  perhaps  one  of  the 
family.  I  have  been  trying  to  keep  the  thing  out  of 
the  City  as  much  as  possible." 

"  My  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Pratt,"  the  Marquis 
confessed,  "  is  not  of  long  date,  but  my  son  has  en- 
joj'ed  his  friendship  for  some  time,  and  he  seems 
likely  to  become,  if  I  may  say  so,  a  —  er  —  a  friend 
of  the  family." 

The  financier's  smile  was  meant  to  be  waggish. 

"  I  fancied  that  I  detected  indications  of  the  sort," 
he  declared. 

"  Have  you  any  documents?  "  Jacob  asked. 

"  I  have  the  undertaking  to  sell,"  Mr.  Montague 
replied,  "  signed,  of  course,  by  Peter.  Also  a  letter 
from  a  well-known  firm  of  solicitors,  who  have  exam- 
ined the  undertaking  to  sell,  pronouncing  it  legal. 
I  can  also,  if  you  like,  supply  you  with  a  list  of  the 
contributors." 


182  JACOB'S  LADDER 

Jacob  accepted  the  documents  and  studied  them. 
The  undertaking  to  sell  the  place  of  amusement 
known  as  Empress  Music  Hall  was  simply  but  clearly 
worded,  and  signed  by  "  W.  Peter  " ;  also  by  two 
witnesses. 

"  That  seems  to  be  in  order,"  Jacob  admitted, 
"  except  that  I  always  thought  Peter  spelt  his  name 
'  Petre.'  " 

"  Swank,"  Montague  scoffed.  "  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  though,  I  thought  so  myself  until  I  saw  the 
signature." 

Jacob  examined  the  letter  from  the  solicitors.  It 
w  as  brief  and  conclusive  : 

Dear  Sir, 

Re  the  Empress  Music  Hall,  We  have  examined 
the  undertaking  for  the  disposal  of  the  above,  signed 
by  the  owner  and  addressed  to  you,  and  we  find  the 
same  duly  in  order  and  a  legal  document. 

Faithfully, 
Danesworthy  &  Bryan. 

The  third  paper  contained  a  list  of  the  contribu- 
tors. Mr.  Montague  headed  the  list  with  twenty-five 
thousand  pounds.  The  Marquis  was  down  for  five 
thousand.  The  other  names,  ranging  from  three 
thousand  to  five  hundred,  were  all  people  of  title, 
man}'  of  them  relatives  of  the  Marquis. 

"  Sounds  like  a  Court  guide,"  Jacob  remarked, 
passing  it  back. 


JACOB'S  LADDER  183 

"  I  have  been  privileged,"  the  Marquis  observed, 
stroking  his  grey  moustache,  "  as  Mr.  Montague  has 
already  told  you,  to  place  liis  proposition  before 
various  members  of  my  family.  I  have  found  them, 
one  and  all,  anxious  to  share  in  the  profits  of  Mr. 
Montague's  —  er  —  enterprise." 

"  When  the  purchase  of  the  Empress  Music  Hall 
is  concluded,  what  do  you  propose  to  do  with  it-f*  " 
Jacob  enquired. 

"  Sell  it  to  a  company  for  a  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand,"  Mr.  Montague  answered,  "  and  divide  the 
profits  of  the  sale  amongst  the  contributors  accord- 
ing to  their  holding.  The  Marquis  holds  an  agree- 
ment signed  by  me  to  that  eifect." 

"  That  is  so,"  his  lordship  acquiesced. 

Jacob  was  frankl}^  puzzled. 

"  I  don't  understand,  Mr.  Montague,  how  you  got 
that  undertaking,"  he  confessed.  "  I  saw  an  inter- 
view with  Mr.  Peter  in  the  papers  the  other  day,  in 
which  he  denied  having  sold  the  *  Empress  '  or  even 
proposing  to  do  so." 

"  That 's  the  commonest  bluff  going,"  the  other 
pointed  out.  "  Always  done.  And  see  here,  Pratt, 
this  is  the  truth  of  the  matter.  The  profit  or  the 
loss  on  the  sale  of  the  '  Empress  '  would  n't  go  into 
Peter's  pocket  at  all.  It  would  go  into  the  pockets 
of  people  with  whom  he  is  at  present  on  very  bad 
terms.  This  sale  does  them  in  the  eye.  That 's  the 
long  and  short  of  it." 


184  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  I  see  no  reason,"  Jacob  decided,  after  a  few 
moments'  consideration,  "  why  I  should  not  join  in 
this  enterprise.  If  you  will  allow  me,  I  will  telephone 
for  my  cheque  book." 

"  Certainly,"  the  Marquis  agreed,  "  and  in  the 
meantime  we  can  make  our  peace  with  the  ladies." 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

Jacob,  on  his  return  from  the  telephone,  found  to 
his  surprise  a  familiar  figure  seated  before  the  piano 
in  the  long  drawing-room,  an  apartment  more  pic- 
turesque than  ever  now  in  the  shaded  lamplight,  with 
its  faded  yellow  satin  furniture,  its  amber  hangings, 
and  its  quaint  perfume  of  bygone  days.  Lady  Mary 
came  to  meet  him. 

"  You  see  what  I  have  done  for  you,"  she  whis- 
pered. 

"  Miss  Bultiwell !  " 

Lady  Mary  nodded. 

"  You  '11  have  to  be  careful,  though,"  she  warned 
him.  "  I  can  see  that  there  has  been  some  trouble  — 
that  the  course  of  true  love  has  n't  been  running 
exactly  as  it  should." 

"  I  told  you  that,"  Jacob  reminded  her  dismally. 
"  I  am  beginning  to  believe  that  she  hates  me." 

"  Not  she,"  was  the  cheerful  reply.  "  Look  here, 
mother  's  gone  into  the  housekeeper's  room  for  a  mo- 
ment. Dad  and  Mr.  Montague  are  adding  up  how 
much  they  have  made  out  of  you.     You  slip  out  on 


186  JACOB'S  LADDER 

to  the  terrace  there,  before  she  turns  around,  and  I  '11 
bring  her  out  directly." 

Jacob  did  as  he  was  directed,  and,  with  the  echoes 
of  Sybil's  song  still  in  his  ears,  stepped  out  on  to  a 
wide  balcony  and  stood  looking  over  the  tops  of  the 
lime  trees  towards  Buckingham  Palace.  Presently 
there  was  a  rustle  of  skirts,  the  sound  of  voices,  and 
the  two  girls  appeared.  Sybil  stopped  short  when  she 
saw  Jacob,  but  Lady  Mary  stood  in  the  way  of  her 
retreat. 

"  You  know  Mr.  Pratt,  don't  you  ?  "  she  asked 
carelessly.  "  I  thought  so.  Miss  Bultiwell  's  a  perfect 
dear,"  she  continued,  turning  to  Jacob.  "  She  comes 
across  the  Square  and  sings  to  me  sometimes  after 
dinner  and  even  condescends  to  play  my  accompani- 
ments. You  've  no  idea  what  a  tax  that  is  upon  any 
one's  good  nature." 

*'  I  understood  that  you  were  to  be  alone  this  even- 
ing," Sybil  remarked. 

"  But  we  are  alone  —  practically,"  Lady  Mary 
declared.  "  I  am  sure  you  would  n't  count  Mr.  Mon- 
tague, and  Mr.  Pratt  is  an  old  friend.  —  One  moment, 
there  's  my  mother  calling.  Don't  move,  either  of 
you,  or  we  shall  have  to  sit  in  that  stuffy  drawing- 
room  all  the  evening." 

Tliey  were  alone,  and  Jacob  found  it  exceedingly 
difficult  to  think  of  anything  to  say. 

"  I  had  no  idea  that  you  were  persona  grata  in  this 
household,"  Sybil  remarked  coldly. 


JACOB'S  LADDER  187 

"I'm  not  —  if  it  means  what  it  sounds  as  if  it 
did,"  Jacob  replied.  "  I  am  asked  here  because  I 
am  very  rich  and  because  the  Marquis  is  interested 
in  money-making  schemes.  Do  you  like  being  a 
nurser}'  governess  ?  " 

"  I  hate  it !  " 

"  Worse  than  giving  dancing  lessons?  " 

"  You  need  n't  rub  it  in.  That  was  just  an  un- 
fortunate episode." 

"  Unfortunate,  you  call  it.'*  " 

"  Unfortunate,"  she  repeated,  "  for  if  those  two 
men  had  been  half  as  clever  as  I  thought  they  were, 
they  would  n't  have  bungled  the  matter,  and  I  should 
have  been  able  to  make  a  real  start  in  life." 

"  With  my  money?  " 

"  Yes,  but  not  given  by  you.     Taken  from  you !  '* 

"  Miss  Bultiwell,"  Jacob  asked  wistfully,  "  are  you 
never  going  to  get  rid  of  this  ridiculous  prejudice 
against  me?  " 

"  Never !  " 

"  You  know  —  that  I  admire  you  more  than  any 
one  else  in  the  world?  " 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,  if  it  makes  you  uncomfort- 


able, 


j» 


"  It  makes  me  unhappy." 

"  Then  I  'm  glad  you  find  me  attractive,"  she  de- 
clared. "  I  only  wish  I  had  really  beautiful  clothes 
and  were  far  better  looking.     Then  you  might  suffer 


more." 


188  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  Some  day,"  he  said,  drawing  nearer  to  her,  "  you 
will  try  me  too  high." 

She  laughed  scornfully. 

"  Are  you  trying  to  threaten  me?  " 

He  came  nearer  still.  His  hand  rested  against  the 
wall,  within  a  few  inches  of  her.  Her  lips  were  a  little 
parted,  but  her  eyes  flashed. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  she  demanded.  "  How 
dare  you  come  so  near  to  me !  " 

His  eyes  met  hers  steadily. 

"  I  am  going  to  propose,"  he  told  her.  "  I  can't 
from  the  other  side  of  the  balcony." 

"  Propose !  "  she  repeated  contemptuously. 

"  Will  you  marry  me  pleaso,  Sybil?  "  he  asked. 

«  WiU  I  —  " 

"  I  think  you  will  some  day,"  he  went  on.  "  It 
would  make  things  simpler  if  you  'd  say  '  yes  '  now." 

She  was  speechless.  For  the  first  time  Jacob  felt 
that  he  had  scored.  Perhaps  it  was  not  altogether 
to  his  disadvantage  that  at  that  moment  a  footman 
stepped  out  on  to  the  balcony  with  a  small  package 
for  him.  Sybil  slipped  away  and  Jacob  followed  her 
into  the  room.  Lady  Mary  looked  up  from  the 
piano. 

"  One  more  song.  Miss  Bultiwell?  "  she  suggested. 

"  If  you  will  excuse  me,"  Sybil  replied,  "  I  must  go 
home  now." 

"  Must  you?  "  Lady  Mary  murmured,  "  Mr.  Pratt 
will  see  you  across  the  Square.' 


J5 


JACOB'S  LADDER  189 

"  Quite  unnecessary,  thank  you,"  was  the  curt  re- 
joinder. 

"  Besides,  we  rather  want  Mr.  Pratt,"  the  Marquis, 
who  had  just  made  his  appearance,  intervened^ 
"  James  can  step  across  with  Miss  Bultiwell." 

Sybil  moved  quickly  towards  the  door. 

"  Please  don't  let  any  one  stir,"  she  begged.  "  It 
is  barely  a  hundred  yards  and  I  much  prefer  going 
alone." 

Lady  Mary  got  up  from  the  piano  and  detained 
Jacob  as  he  turned  to  follow  the  other  two  men. 

"  Mr.  Pratt,"  she  asked,  "  how  did  you  contrive 
to  offend  Miss  Bultiwell.?  " 

"  I  refused  to  put  some  money  into  her  father's 
business,"  he  explained.  "  Her  father  was  hopelessly 
bankrupt  and  tried  to  palm  off  a  false  balance  sheet 
on  me.  He  afterwards  shot  himself.  It  was  unfor- 
tunate, but  I  cannot  see  that  I  was  to  blame." 

Lady  Mary  sighed. 

*'  Of  course,"  she  said,  "  I  feel  I  am  being  rather 
generous  in  trying  to  help  you,  because  I  am  begin- 
ning to  rather  like  you  myself." 

"  There  docs  n't  seem  to  be  anything  against  your 
encouraging  the  feeling,"  Jacob  replied,  with  a  rather 
sad  twinkle  in  his  eyes.  "  I  don't  think  Sybil  will 
ever  have  me." 

She  made  a  little  grimace. 

"  I  don't  like  being  a  second  choice,"  she  confessed. 
"  Could  n't  you  get  to  like  me  best?  " 


190  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  What  about  the  other  fellow?  " 

"  He  's  coming  in  with  Jack  in  a  few  minutes,"  she 
said.  "  I  must  ask  him  about  it.  I  think  I  shall  tell 
him  that  my  affections  are  wavering." 

"  As  soon  as  the  coast  is  clear,"  Jacob  began,  — 

"  Humbug!  "  she  interrupted.  "  Go  down  and  be 
fleeced." 

The  scene  was  laid  when  Jacob  reached  the  library. 
He  slipped  into  the  vacant  chair  and  accepted  the  pen 
which  the  Marquis  handed  to  him. 

"  Leave  the  cheque  open,  please,"  Mr.  Dane  Mon- 
tague begged.  "  We  have  to  hand  the  money  over  in 
cash  to-morrow  morning." 

"  Certainly,"  Jacob  assented.  "  By  the  bye,  will 
you  let  me  have  one  more  glance  at  the  undertaking 
to  sell.?" 

"  You  can  read  it  through  as  many  times  as  you 
like,"  the  other  replied,  producing  it.  "  It 's  as  tight 
a  contract  as  can  be  drawn.  The  lawyer's  letter 
proves  that." 

Jacob  nodded,  and,  spreading  the  document  out, 
tapped  it  with  the  end  of  his  penholder. 

"  There  is  just  one  thing  omitted  which  I  think 
should  be  in,"  he  said. 

"  What 's  that.?  "  Mr.  Montague  demanded. 

"  Well,  I  think  you  ought  to  add  '  Leicester 
Square '  after  the  Empress  Music  Hall,"  Jacob 
pointed  out.     "  Curiously  enough,  there  happens  to 


JACOB'S  LADDER  191 

be  another  Empress  Music  Hall  in  Shoreditch,  the 
proprietor  of  which  spells  his  name  P-e-t-e-r.  I 
looked  it  up  in  the  telephone  directory  just  now." 

There  was  a  cold  and  ominous  silence.  Mr.  Mon- 
tage breathed  heavily.     The  Marquis  sighed. 

"  Most  unfortunate !  "  he  murmured. 

"  Most  what?  "  Jacob  asked,  turning  towards  him. 

"  Most  unfortunate,"  the  Marquis  repeated. 
"  You  are  the  first  person,  Mr.  Pratt,  to  whom  this 
—  er  —  enterprise  has  been  suggested,  who  has  seen 
through  our  little  financial  effort." 

Jacob  was  somewhat  staggered.  He  looked  across 
at  Montague. 

"  You  're  on  top  again,  Pratt,"  that  gentleman 
conceded  gloomily.  "  The  music  hall  in  question  is 
the  Shoreditch  *  Empress.'  " 

"  And  do  you  mean  to  say,"  Jacob  demanded  in- 
credulousl}^,  "  that  you  have  induced  the  people  whose 
names  are  on  that  list  to  part  with  their  money,  be- 
lieving they  are  going  to  acquire  an  interest  in  the 
Empress  Music  Hall  in  Leicester  Square?" 

"  That 's  ail  right,"  Montague  assented.  "  It  was 
dead  easy.  You  see,  they  were  mostly  the  Marquis's 
friends,  toffs,  without  any  head  for  business,  and  we 
swore  tliem  to  absolute  secrecy  —  told  them  if  they 
breathed  a  word  of  it,  the  whole  thing  would  be 
spoilt." 

"  But  you  are  n't  giving  fifty  thousand  pounds  for 
the  Shoreditch  Empress  ?  " 


192  JACOB'S  LADDER 

The  financier  laughed  scornfully. 

"  Not  likely !  That 's  where  the  Marquis  and  I 
make  a  bit.  We  have  another  agreement  with  Peter, 
who  's  a  pal  and  a  white  man,  to  buy  the  place  for 
fifteen  thousand.     Then  we  've  an  arrangement  —  " 

"  You  need  n't  go  on,"  Jacob  interrupted.  "  I 
can  quite  see  that  there  are  plenty  of  ways  of  working 
the  swindle." 

"  Swindle?  "  his  host  repeated,  with  a  pained  ex- 
pression.    "  My  dear  Mr.  Pratt !  " 

"Why,  what  else  can  you  call  it.''"  Jacob  pro- 
tested. 

The  Marquis  coughed. 

"  It  is  only  lately,"  he  said,  *'  that,  with  the  as- 
sistance of  Mr.  Dane  Montague,  I  have  endeavoured 
to  supplement  my  income  in  this  fashion.  I  do  not 
understand  the  harshness  of  your  term,  Mr.  Pratt,  as 
applied  to  this  transaction.  I  have  little  experience 
of  city  life,  but  I  have  always  understood  that  money 
was  made  there,  in  financial  and  Stock  Exchange 
circles,  by  buying  from  a  man  something  which  you 
knew  was  worth  more  money,  selling  it  to  another  and 
—  er  —  pocketing  the  difference.  Surely  this  in- 
volves a  certain  amount  of  what  a  purist  would  call 
deceit?  " 

"  On  the  contrary,"  Jacob  pointed  out,  "  that  is  a 
fair  bargain,  because  the  two  men  have  different  ideas 
of  the  value  of  a  thing,  and  each  backs  his  own 
opinion." 


JACOB'S  LADDER  193 

"  But  there  are  surely  many  cases,"  the  Marquis 
argued,  "  in  vrhich  the  seller  knows  and  the  buyer 
does  not  know?  Is  it  incumbent  on  the  seller  to  im- 
part to  the  buyer  his  superior  knowledge?  I  think 
not.  Without  a  doubt,  business  in  the  city  is  con- 
ducted on  the  general  lines  of  the  man  knowing  the 
most  making  the  most.  I  look  upon  our  little  trans- 
action as  being  exactly  on  parallel  lines.  We  knew 
that  the  Shoreditch  Music  Hall  was  meant.  The 
people  who  advanced  the  money  thought  that  the 
Leicester  Square  Music  Hall  was  meant.  There- 
fore, we  make  the  money." 

Jacob  rose  to  his  feet.  He  was  feeling  a  little 
dazed. 

"  Your  ideas  of  commercial  ethics.  Marquis,"  he 
acknowledged,  "  are  excellent  in  their  way,  but  do  you 
imagine  that  they  will  be  shared  by  the  members  of 
your  family  who  have  parted  with  their  money?  " 

"  I  trust,  sir,"  the  Marquis  replied  stiffly,  "  that 
they  will  behave  like  sportsmen  and  see  the  humour  of 
the  transaction." 

"  I  hope  they  will !  "  Jacob  murmured  fervently,  as 
he  took  his  leave. 

"  In  any  case,"  the  Marquis  concluded  compla- 
cently, "  their  cheques  have  been  cashed." 


CHAPTER    XIX 

In  the  course  of  his  financial  peregrinations 
amongst  the  liighways  and  byways  of  the  city,  Mr. 
Dane  Montague  made  many  acquaintances.  It 
chanced  that  soon  after  the  exploitation  of  the  Shore- 
ditch  Empress  Music  Hall,  a  flotation  which  brought 
Mr.  Montague  many  admirers  from  the  underworlds 
of  finance,  it  fell  to  his  lot  to  give  a  luncheon  party  to 
celebrate  the  culmination  of  a  subsidiary  financial 
swindle  and  to  plan  further  activities  in  the  same  di- 
rection. His  guests  were  PhiHp  Mason,  the  well- 
known  man  about  town,  and  Joe  Hartwell,  the  trans- 
atlantic young  adventurer.  After  the  third  bottle 
of  champagne,  it  transpired  that  the  luncheon  party 
had  a  further  object. 

"  It 's  queer  that  you  should  have  run  across  the 
little  beast,  too,"  Mr.  Dane  Montague  observed. 
"  Got  it  laid  by  for  him,  have  n't  you?  " 

Mason's  good-looking  but  dissipated  face  was  sud- 
denly ugly. 

"  If  I  could  wring  his  neck,"  he  muttered,  *'  I  'd 
do  it  to-morrow  and  thank  my  stars." 

"  He  '11  get   his    some   day   from   this   guy,"   Joe 


JACOB'S   LADDER  195 

Hartwell  added  earnestly.  "  I  'm  kind  of  hanging 
round  for  the  chance." 

Mr.  Montague  ordered  expensive  cigars  and  the 
three  men's  heads  drew  a  little  closer  together. 

**  We  ought  to  be  able  to  put  it  across  him,"  the 
host  continued.  "  We  *ve  brains  enough,  and  be- 
tween us  we  know  the  ropes.  The  only  thing  is  thf^t 
it 's  pretty  difficult  to  hurt  him  financially.  I  believe 
it 's  a  fact  that  he  's  well  on  towards  his  second  mil- 
lion." 

"  There  are  other  ways,"  Hartwell  remarked, 
draining  his  glass  with  slow,  unwholesome  delibera- 
tion. "  If  I  'd  got  him  in  New  York  I  should  know 
what  to  do.  I  guess  there  are  back  doors  in  this  little 
village." 

"  Here 's  one  of  the  clan ! "  Montague  exclaimed, 
looking  up.  "  Sit  down  and  have  a  drink  with  us, 
Fehxstowe." 

Lord  Felixstowe,  who  had  paused  at  the  table  on 
his  way  through  the  restaurant,  surveyed  the  little 
party  without  undue  enthusiasm, 

"  Off  it  to-day,  my  children,"  he  announced. 
*'  I  'm  playing  polo  at  Ranelagh  this  afternoon. 
Any  one  want  to  back  the  Crimson  Sashes.''  " 

Mr.  Montague  stretched  out  his  hand  and  drew 
the  young  man  a  little  nearer. 

"  Look  here,  Felixstowe,"  he  confided,  "  we  're 
talking  about  Pratt  —  Jacob  Pratt.  You  know  the 
little  devil." 


196  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"What  about  him?"  his  lordship  enquired,  help- 
ing himself  to  a  cigar  from  the  box  on  the  table. 

"  Philip  here,  and  Hartwell,  have  got  it  up  against 
him  hard.  So  have  I.  We  think  it 's  about  time  he 
was  taught  a  lesson.  There  might  be  something  for 
you  out  of  it." 

"  What 's  the  scheme?  "  Felixstowe  demanded. 
'•  It  '11  have  to  be  a  devilish  clever  one  to  land  him." 

"  It  need  not  necessarily  be  financial,"  Montague 
pointed  out,  twirling  his  black  moustache.  "  There 
are  other  ways  of  teaching  a  man  a  lesson,  and  these 
two  boys  have  something  of  their  own  to  get  back, 
something  that  money  won't  pay  for.  Men  with  a 
six-figure  balance  at  their  banker's  have  had  to  face 
ruin  before  now." 

"  Count  me  on  the  other  side  of  the  hedge,"  Felix- 
stowe declared  promptly.  "  I  would  n't  hurt  a  hair 
of  Jacob  Pratt's  head.  One  of  the  best-natured 
little  bounders  I  ever  knew." 

Mason  nodded. 

"Fade  away,  Felix,"  he  enjoined.  "You're  not 
in  this  show." 

Felixstowe  left  the  restaurant  and,  crossing  the 
courtyard,  seated  himself  in  a  disreputable  little 
two-seated  car  jammed  between  two  dignified  limou- 
sines, in  which,  after  a  fierce  and  angry  toot,  he  sped 
out  into  the  Strand.  With  very  scant  regard  to  the 
amenities  of  the  traffic  laws,  and  stonily  deaf  to  the 
warning  cries  of  a  policeman,  he  threaded  his  way  in 


JACOB'S   LADDER  197 

and  out  of  the  stream  of  vehicles,  shot  across 
into  Duncannon  Street,  and,  with  the  blasphemous 
cries  of  a  motor-omnibus  driver  still  in  his  ears, 
pulled  up  before  Jacob  Pratt's  offices  at  the  lower 
end  of  Regent  Street.  Jacob,  who  had  just  re- 
turned from  luncheon,  welcomed  him  with  a  nod 
and  indicated  the  easy-chair,  into  which  the  young 
man  sank  with  the  air  of  one  who  has  earned 
repose. 

"  Old  top,"  he  announced,  "  they  're  getting  ready 
to  put  it  across  you." 

"  Who  are?  "  Jacob  asked. 

"  The  great  Dane  Montague,  fresh  from  his  city 
triumphs,  Joe  Hartwell,  the  American  shark,  and 
Philip  Mason." 

Jacob  smiled  a  little  contemptuously. 

"  I  dare  say  they  'd  like  to  do  me  a  bad  turn  if 
they  covdd !  " 

The  young  man  extended  liis  hand  for  Jacob's  case, 
took  out  a  cigarette  and  tapped  it  upon  the  desk, 
lit  it,  and  subsided  still  farther  into  the  depths  of  his 
chair. 

"  Listen,"  he  continued,  "  this  is  no  idle  gossip  I 
bring  3'Ou.  Five  minutes  ago  I  left  the  trio  at  the 
Milan,  discussing  over  several  empty  bottles  of  Pom- 
mery  and  a  badly  hurt  bottle  of  '68  brandy  no  less  a 
subject  than  your  undoing." 

"  Any  specific  method?  "  Jacob  enquired. 

"  ^Vhen  I  declined  to  join  the  enterprise,  they  dried 


198  JACOB'S   LADDER 

up.  All  the  same  they  mean  miscliief,"  Felixstowe 
declared  emphatically. 

"  But  why  should  you  think  that  they  can  hurt 
me?  " 

"  Because  you  are  on  the  straight  and  they  are  on 
the  cross,"  was  the  well-considered  reply.  "  If  three 
men  of  their  brains  mean  mischief,  well,  they  're  worth 
watching.  They  know  the  dirty  ways  and  you  don't. 
The  old  game,  you  know  —  a  feint  in  the  front  and  a 
stab  in  the  back.  Keep  j'our  weather  eye  open, 
Jacob.  Beware  of  them,  whether  they  bring  gifts 
or  thunderbolts." 

"  Anyway,  it 's  very  friendly  of  you  to  come  and 
warn  me,"  Jacob  said  gratefully. 

"  Not  at  all,  old  bean.  I  say,  when  are  you  going 
to  get  me  a  job?  " 

"  What  sort  of  a  job  do  3'ou  want?  " 

"  Your  private  secretary,  couple  of  thou  a  year, 
and  one  of  these  cadaverous,  ink-smudged  chaps  to  do 
the  work.     What-ho  !  " 

"  You  're  modest !  " 

"  That 's  what  the  governor  says.  He  was  on  to 
me  about  you  yesterday.  Coming  the  man-of-the- 
world  stunt,  you  know.  Hand  on  my  shoulder  with 
a  fatherly  grip.  '  Jack,'  he  said  solemnly,  '  there  's 
one  golden  rule  which  people  in  our  position  must 
never  forget.     Make  use  of  your  friends.' " 

"  And  relations,"  Jacob  murmured. 

The  young  man  grinned. 


JACOB'S  LADDER  199 

"  To  tell  jou  the  truth,"  he  said,  "  the  old  man 
overshot  the  bolt  a  bit  there.  Done  'em  all  in  the 
eye  for  several  thou  of  the  best.  I  fancy  he  's  going 
to  seek  the  seclusion  of  a  distant  clime  for  a  month  or 
two.  .  .  .  But  as  I  was  saying,  he  's  always  on  to  me 
about  you.  *  My  boy,'  he  said,  in  his  best  Lord  Ches- 
terfield manner,  '  you  have  contracted  a  valuable  ac- 
quaintance with  that  very  personable  and  shrewd 
young  financier  whom  you  introduced  to  us  at  Ascot. 
It  rests  with  you  to  see  that  that  acquaintance  is 
made  of  profit  to  the  family.'  " 

"  I  am  afraid,"  Jacob  observed,  "  that  in  that  way 
I  have  been  rather  a  disappointment." 

"  The  governor  is  n't  easily  discouraged,"  Felix- 
stowe replied,  "  and  the  mater  's  got  something  up  her 
sleeve  for  you.  But  placing  their  own  interests  in 
the  background,  as  my  revered  sire  pointed  out,  it 
is  certainly,  in  his  opinion,  up  to  you  to  find  me  a 
job." 

"  You  can  go  into  the  office  and  file  letters,  at 
three  pounds  a  week,  whenever  you  like,"  Jacob 
suggested. 

The  young  man  picked  himself  up  in  hurt  fashion. 

"  See  whether  we  win  our  heat  this  afternoon 
against  the  Crimson  Sashes,"  he  said.  *'  I  've  a 
couple  of  ponies  on,  which  ought  to  keep  me  going  till 
Thursday,  if  we  win.  Shall  I  tool  you  down  to 
llanelagh,  old  chap?  " 

"What,  in  the  bassinet  I  saw  you  in  yesterday.'' 


200  JACOB'S  LADDER 

There  were  three  policemen  running  down  St.  James's 
Street  after  you." 

"  I  can  make  her  rip,"  the  young  man  promised. 
"  Come  on," 

"  Not  I !  "  Jacob  replied,  with  a  shudder.  "  Be- 
sides, you  'd  expect  me  to  pay  the  fines." 

"  So  long,  then,"  Felixstowe  concluded,  as  he 
picked  up  his  hat  and  turned  to  go.  "  Keep  your 
weather  eye  open.  If  I  lose  the  match,  I  '11  probably 
drop  in  for  that  post." 

The  young  man,  after  a  violent  series  of  explosions 
from  his  reluctantly  started  engine,  shot  into  Pall 
Mall  and  disappeared  in  a  cloud  of  smoke.  Jacob 
watched  him  from  the  window  with  a  smile  upon  his 
lips.  When  he  resumed  his  seat,  however,  the  smile 
had  vanished.  He  sat  with  his  head  resting  upon  his 
left  hand,  idly  sketching  upon  a  corner  of  the  blot- 
ting pad.     Presently  he  rang  the  bell  for  Dauncey. 

"  Dick,"  he  said,  "  Lord  Felixstowe  has  just 
brought  me  a  warning." 

"  A  warning,"  Dauncey  repeated. 

"  It  appears,"  Jacob  went  on,  "  that  in  the  course 
of  various  insignificant  adventures  which  have  oc- 
curred to  me  during  the  last  few  months,  I  have  made 
enemies.  INIr.  Dane  Montague,  Philip  Mason,  and 
Joe  Hartwcll  are  out  on  the  warpath  against  me." 

*'  Financially.?  "  Dauncey  asked,  with  an  incredu- 
lous smile. 

Jacob  shook  his  head. 


JACOB'S  LADDER  201 

"  I  think  they  've  had  enough  of  that.  According 
to  Felixstowe,  they  're  plotting  something  a  little 
lower  down.  Keep  an  eye  on  me,  Dick,  if  beautiful 
woman  inveigles,  or  a  ragged  messenger  from  a  starv- 
ing father  tries  to  lure  me  into  the  slums." 

Dauncey  declined  to  take  the  matter  lightly. 

"  You  have  n't  a  thing  to  do  for  four  days,"  he  re- 
marked. "  Why  don't  you  go  down  to  Marlingden 
and  see  how  the  new  *  Mrs.  Fitzpatricks  '  are  bloom- 
ing?" 

"  It 's  an  idea,  Dick,"  Jacob  declared.  "  I  'm  sick 
of  town,  anyway.  Telephone  Mrs.  Harris  and  say 
I  'm  coming,  and  order  the  car  around  in  half  an 
hour.  You  can  stay  here  till  closing  time  and  come 
across  and  see  me  after  supper." 

The  telephone  tinkled  at  Jacob's  elbow.  He 
picked  up  the  receiver  and  listened  for  a  moment. 
His  own  share  of  the  conversation  waj  insignifi- 
cant. 

"  Of  course  you  can,"  he  said.  "  Certainly,  I 
shall  be  here.  ...  In  five  minutes  ?  .  .  .  Yes !  " 

He  replaced  the  receiver. 

"  Lady  Mary  Felixstowe  is  calling  here,  Dauncey," 
he  announced.     "  She  can  be  shown  in  at  once." 

Lady  Mary,  very  smart  in  white  muslin  and  a 
black  hat,  followed  hard  upon  her  telephone  message. 
She  was  full  of  curiosity  and  without  the  least  em- 
barrassment. 

"Don't  tell  me  that  all  your  money  is  made  in  a 


202  JACOB'S  LADDER 

little  office  like  this !  "  she  exclaimed,  as  she  sank  into 
the  easv-chair. 

"  It  is  n't,"  he  assured  her.  "  It 's  all  made  in 
America.     I  simply  sit  here  and  try  to  keep  it." 

*'  Am  I  being  at  all  unusual  in  visiting  you  like 
this?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  've  had  visits  from  lady  clients  before,"  he  re^ 
plied.  "  Let  us  assume  that  you  have  come  to  con- 
sult me  about  an  eight-roomed  villa  at  Cropstone." 

"  Cropstone?  "  she  repeated.  "  That  is  the  sort 
of  garden  city  place,  is  n't  it,  where  one  has  a  doU's 
house  with  fifty  feet  of  garden,  a  lecture  hall  with 
free  cookery  lectures  twice  a  week,  and  a  strap-hang 
in  a  motor-car  to  the  station  every  morning." 

"  One  might  accept  that  as  a  pessimistic  impression 
of  the  place,"  Jacob  conceded. 

Lady  Mary  sighed. 

"  Tha  o  Is  where  I  shall  have  to  live,"  she  said,  "  if 
I  marry  Maurice." 

Jacob  was  suddenly  thoughtful.  He  was  thinking 
of  a  small  rose  garden  at  Cropstone  and  a  watering 
can. 

"  If  you  care  enough,"  he  ventured  gravely,  "  the 
conditions  of  life  don't  seem  to  matter  so  much,  do 
they?" 

She  made  a  little  grimace. 

"  How  is  Miss  BultiweU?  "  she  asked,  with  appar- 
ent irrelevance. 

"  I  was  going  to  ask  you,"  Jacob  replied.     "  I 


JACOB'S   LADDER  203 

have  not  seen  her  since  the  night  I  dined  at  your 
house." 

"  She  is  still  with  my  aunt,  I  believe,"  Lady  Mary 
continued.     "  The  children  adore  her." 

"  Have  you  seen  her  lately?  "  Jacob  asked. 

"  Last  week.  Promise  you  won't  be  broken- 
hearted if  I  tell  you  something?  " 

"  I  '11  try." 

"  I  met  her  in  the  Park  —  with  whom  do  you 
think?  " 

"  No  idea." 

"With  Maurice.  Of  course,  I  didn't  ask  any 
questions,  and  they  might  have  met  accidentally,  but 
I  never  saw  Maurice  look  such  an  idiot.  I  think  a 
man  ought  to  be  able  to  conceal  his  feelings,  don't 
you,  Mr.  Pratt?  Should  you  look  an  idiot,  now,  if 
your  fiancee  were  to  discover  you  with  another 
girl?  " 

"  Such  a  thing  would  probably  never  happen,'* 
Jacob  answered.  "  I  am  of  an  extraordinarily  faith- 
ful disposition." 

She  laughed  at  him  across  the  desk. 

"  Is  n't  that  queer !  So  am  I !  What  a  lot  we 
have  in  common,  Mr.  Pratt !  " 

**I  am  beginning  to  realise  it,"  Jacob  assented. 

**  If  only  I  could  make  you  forget  Sybil !  " 

"  If  only  Sybil  would  allow  me  to  forget  her !  " 
Jacob  groaned. 

"  What  you  need,"  she  said  earnestly,  "  is  to  see 


204  JACOB'S   LADDER 

more  of  other  nice-looking,  attractive  young  women 
of  somewhat  similar  type." 

"  There  may  be  something  in  that,"  he  conceded. 

"  Apropos  of  which,  let  me  explain  my  visit.  I 
was  told  to  telephone  to  you,  but  I  hate  a  conversa- 
tion down  a  tube,  don't  you.''  " 

"  I  certainly  prefer  your  visit." 

"  We  've  such  a  rag  on,"  Lady  Mary  continued. 
*'  We  're  going  to  have  a  picnic  fortnight  up  at  our 
place  in  Scotland.  We  want  to  know  whether  you  '11 
come.  Dad  told  me  to  say  that  there  was  plenty  of 
fishing  and  a  grouse  moor  for  later  on.     Sailing,  of 


course." 


"  It  sounds  delightful,"  Jacob  replied  enthusiasti- 
cally. "Right  up  in  Scotland  you  say?  To  tell 
you  the  truth,  I  was  just  wondering  whether  I 
could  n't  drop  out  of  things  quietly  for  a  week  or 


so." 


It  will  be  absolutely  the  end  of  us,"  she  declared, 
smiling  out  of  her  very  blue  eyes.  "  Maurice  has 
been  a  perfect  brute  to  me  lately,  apart  from  his 
flirtation  with  Miss  Bultiwell,  and  I  have  almost  left 
off  loving  him.  I  know  we  shall  both  fall.  I  'm  so 
affectionate,"  she  sighed. 

Jacob  felt  suddenly  soothed.  Lady  Mary  was 
looking  very  attractive  and  her  eyes  were  full  of  chal- 
lenge. 

"  But  tell  me,"  he  asked,  "  is  n't  it  very  early  for 
you  to  leave  town?  " 


JACOB'S  LADDER  205 

She  nodded. 

"  To  tell  you  the  truth,"  she  confided,  "  dad  seems 
to  have  got  into  terrible  disgrace  with  all  his  rela- 
tives lately.  Something  to  do  with  a  money  scheme, 
I  think,  in  which  they  were  all  interested,  and  in  which 
he  seems  to  have  done  better  than  they  did." 

"  I  quite  understand,"  Jacob  murmured.  "  I  think 
this  temporary  isolation  is  an  excellent  idea  of  your 
father's.  Sort  of  place,  I  suppose,  where  you  get 
a  post  once  a  week  and  no  telegrams." 

"  You  won't  mind  ?  " 

"  Not  I !  " 

"  And  you  '11  come  ?  " 

"  Rather !     When  do  you  start?  " 

"  Some  servants  are  going  up  to-day,"  she  replied, 
"  and  I  think  we  shall  go  with  them  by  the  midnight 
train.  Poor  dad  is  being  so  worried.  We  'd  like 
you  to  come  to-morrow,  or  as  soon  as  you  can.  And 
there 's  just  one  thing  more.  Except  for  your 
own  people  here,  dad  would  like  you  not  to  mention 
where  you  are  going.  He  wants  a  little  peace, 
poor  man." 

"  I  won't  tell  a  soul  except  my  secretary,"  Jacob 
promised. 

"  Not  even  Jack,"  Lady  Mary  persisted. 

"  Very  well.     Not  even  Lord  Felixstowe." 

She  rose,  and  he  escorted  her  to  the  door. 

"  It 's  going  to  be  such  an  adventure,"  she  whis- 
pered, with  a  parting  look. 


206  JACOB'S  LADDER 

Jacob  called  Dauncey  into  the  office. 

"  Stroke  of  luck,  Dick,"  the  former  announced. 
*'  I  shall  be  able  to  do  better  than  Marlingden  — 
drop  out  of  it  altogether,  in  fact.  Felixstowe's 
people  have  asked  me  to  go  up  and  stay  with  them  in 
Scotland  for  a  fortnight." 

"  Capital !  "  Dauncey  exclaimed.  "  You  '11  be  well 
out  of  the  way  there." 

"I  shall  leave  my  address  with  you  and  with  no 
one  else,  Dick.  For  a  fortnight  you  can  consider 
me  wiped  off  the  face  of  the  earth.  Watch  the  in- 
vestment accounts  closely  and  act  on  your  own  ini- 
tiative if  necessary ;  but,  above  all  things,  see  that 
Harris  tries  the  new  blight  cure  on  '  Mrs.  Fitz- 
patrick.' " 


CHAPTER    XX 

Jacob,  sleepy-eyed  and  desperately  hungry, 
tumbled  out  of  the  train,  a  few  mornings  later,  on  to 
a  lone  stretch  of  platform,  to  find  himself  confronted 
by  an  exceedingly  pleasant  sight.  Only  a  few  yards 
away,  on  the  other  side  of  some  white  palings,  Lady 
Mary,  in  a  tartan  skirt,  light  coat  and  tartan  tam-o'- 
shanter,  was  seated  in  a  four-wheeled  dogcart,  doing 
her  best  to  control  a  pair  of  shaggy,  excited  ponies. 

"  Come  along,  Mr.  Pratt,"  she  called  out,  "  and 
jump  in  as  quickly  as  you  can.  These  little  beggars 
are  n't  properly  broken.  The  men  here  will  look 
after  your  luggage." 

Jacob  vaulted  lightly  over  the  paling  and  clam- 
bered up  by  her  side. 

"  Capital !  "  she  laughed.  "  Now  I  shall  see  what 
your  nerves  are  like." 

Jacob  took  off  his  hat  and  drew  in  a  long  breath  of 
the  fresh  morning  air. 

"  I  don't  think  you  're  going  to  frighten  me,"  he 
said.     "  What  a  country  !  " 

Almost  directly  they  turned  off  the  main  road  into 


208  JACOB'S   LADDER 

what  was  little  better  than  a  cart  track,  across  a 
great  open  moor,  dotted  everywhere  with  huge  gran- 
ite stones,  marvellous  clumps  of  heather  and  streaks 
of  gorse.  The  sky  was  perfectly  blue,  and  the  wind 
came  booming  up  from  where  the  moorland  seemed  to 
drop  into  the  sea.  There  were  no  rubber  tyres  on 
the  wheels,  and  apparently  no  springs  to  speak  of  on 
the  cart.  They  swayed  from  side  to  side  in  perilous 
fashion,  went  down  into  ruts,  over  small  boulders  of 
stone,  through  a  stretch  of  swamp,  across  a  patch  of 
stones,  always  at  the  same  half  gallop.  Lady  Mary 
looked  down  and  smiled  at  the  enjoyment  in  her 
companion's  face. 

"  You  've  passed  the  first  test,"  she  declared,  "  but 
then  I  knew  you  would.  I  brought  Mr.  Montague 
along  here  yesterday  morning,  and  he  cried  like  a 
child." 

"  Mr.  Who?  "  Jacob  gasped. 

"  Mr.  Montague  and  a  friend  of  his.  They  came 
down  with  father  last  night.  Perfectly  abominable 
men.  I  hope  you  won't  leave  me  to  their  tender 
mercies  for  a  single  moment,  Mr.  Pratt." 

To  Jacob,  the  warm^^  seemed  to  have  gone  from 
the  sunlight,  and  the  tearing  wind  was  no  longer 
bringing  him  joy.  Up  above  him,  the  long  white 
front  of  Kelsoton  Castle  had  come  into  view.  His 
wonderful  holiday,  then,  had  come  to  this  —  that  he 
must  walk,  minute  by  minute,  in  fear  of  his  liberty, 
perhaps  his  life.     He  was  to  spend  the  days  he  had 


JACOB'S   LADDER  209 

looked  forward  to  so  much  in  this  lonely  spot  with  the 
men  who  were  his  sworn  enemies.  He  looked  behind 
him  for  a  moment.  The  train  b}'  which  he  had  come 
had  disappeared  long  ago  across  a  dark  stretch  of 
barren  moor.  Escape,  even  if  he  had  thought  of  it, 
was  cut  off. 

"  I  gather  that  you  don't  care  much  for  Mr.  Mon- 
tague, either,"  she  remarked,  flicking  one  of  the 
pony's  ears. 

Jacob  roused  himself. 

"  Not  exactly  m}'  choice  of  a  holiday  companion,'* 
he  admitted. 

She  leaned  towards  him. 

"  You  are  only  going  to  have  one  companion,"  she 
told  him.  "  I  have  demanded  your  head  upon  a 
charger  —  or  rather  your  body  in  tennis  flannels  — 
for  the  rest  of  the  day.  The  others  are  all  going  for 
a  picnic." 

"  Is  that  fellow  Maurice  somebody  coming  down?  " 
Jacob  asked  anxiously. 

"  He  has  n't  even  been  asked,"  she  assured  him, 
with  a  flash  of  her  blue  eyes.  "  Here  we  are  at  the 
first  lodge.     Now  for  a  gallop  up  the  avenue." 

The  Marquis  in  kilts,  the  very  prototype  of  the 
somewhat  worn  Scottish  chieftain  of  ancient  lineage, 
welcomed  his  visitor  on  the  threshold,  from  which  the 
great  oak  doors  had  been  thrown  back. 

"  So  sorry  wo  have  n't  the  bagpipes,"  he  apolo- 
gised, as  he  shook  Jacob's  hand.     "  We  shall  get  into 


210  JACOB'S   LADDER 

form  in  a  day  or  two.  Now  you  '11  have  a  bath  and 
some  breakfast,  won't  you?  Your  things  will  be  up 
in  a  few  moments.  You  '11  find  some  old  friends 
here,"  he  added,  as  he  piloted  Jacob  across  the  huge, 
bare  hall,  "  but  my  daughter  tells  me  that  she  claims 
you  for  tennis  —  to-day,  at  any  rate." 

Everything  seemed  cheerful  and  reassuring.  His 
room  looked  straight  out  on  to  a  magnificent,  rock- 
strewn  sea.  The  bathi'oom  which  opened  from  it 
was  a  model  of  comfort  and  even  luxury.  The 
Marchioness  welcomed  him  cordially,  later  on,  and 
Mr.  Dane  Montague  and  Mr.  Hartwell  seemed  very 
harmless  in  their  ill-chosen  country  clothes,  and  in- 
gratiating almost  to  the  point  of  fulsomeness.  Lady 
Mary  glanced  approvingly  at  Jacob's  tennis  flan- 
nels. 

"  I  'm  sure  you  '11  be  far  too  good  for  me,"  she 
sighed,  as  she  gave  him  his  coffee.  "  My  racquet 's 
simply  horrible,  too.  It 's  three  years  old  and  wants 
restringing  badly." 

"  I  hope  you  won't  think  it  a  liberty,"  Jacob  said 
simply,  "  but  I  had  to  call  at  Tate's  to  get  one  of  mine 
which  I  'd  had  restrung,  and  I  saw  such  a  delightfully 
balanced  lady's  racquet  that  I  ventured  to  bring  it 
down.  I  thought  you  might  play  with  it,  at  any 
rate,  if  you  did  n't  feel  like  doing  me  the  honour  of 
accepting  it." 

"  You  dear  person ! "  she  exclaimed  joyfully, 
"  If  father  and  mother  were  n't  here,  and  my  mouth 


JACOB'S   LADDER  211 

were  n't  full  of  scone,  I  believe  I  should  kiss  you. 
There  is  n't  anything  in  the  world  I  wanted  so  much 
as  a  Tate  racquet." 

"  Very  thoughtful  and  kind  of  Mr.  Pratt,  I  am 
sure,"  the  IMarchioness  echoed  graciously. 

Jacob  was  never  quite  sure  as  to  the  meaning  of 
that  day,  on  which  he  and  Lady  Mary  were  left  al- 
most entirely  alone,  and  the  others,  starting  for  an 
excursion  soon  after  breakfast,  did  not  return  until 
an  hour  befoi-e  dinner.  They  plaj^ed  tennis,  bathed, 
played  tennis  again,  lounged  in  a  wonderful  corner  of 
a  many-hundred-3'ear-old  garden,  and  afterwards 
sailed  for  a  couple  of  hours  in  a  little  skiff  which  Lady 
Mary  managed  with  the  utmost  skiU.  Sunburnt, 
tired,  but  completel}"^  happy,  Jacob  watched  the  re- 
turning carriages  with  scarcely  an  atom  of  appre- 
hension. 

"  I  think,"  he  declared,  "  that  this  has  been  one  of 
the  happiest  days  of  my  life." 

"That  is  a  great  deal  to  say,  Mr.  Pratt,"  said 
Lady  Mary. 

She  seemed  suddenly  to  have  lost  her  high  spirits. 
He  looked  at  her  almost  in  surprise.  A  queer  little 
impulse  of  jealousy  crept  into  his  brain. 

"  You  are  tired,"  he  said,  —  "  or  is  it  that  you  are 
thinking  of  some  one  else.''  " 

She  shook  her  head. 

"I  felt  a  little  shiver,"  she  confided.  "I  don't 
know  why.     I  loathe  those  two  men  father  has  here, 


212  JACOB'S  LADDER 

and  I  have  an  idea,  somehow,  that  they  don't  like 
you." 

"  I  have  more  than  an  idea  about  that,"  he  an- 
swered half  lightly.  "  I  believe  they  'd  murder  me 
if  they  could.  You  '11  protect  me,  won't  you,  Lady 
Mary?" 

"  I  will,"  she  answered  quite  gravely. 

Nevertheless,  the  rest  of  the  day  passed  without 
any  untoward  event.  No  one  could  have  been  more 
polite  or  harmless  than  Mr.  Dane  Montague  at  din- 
ner; no  one,  except  that  he  drank  a  little  more  wine 
than  was  good  for  him,  more  genial  than  Joe  Hart- 
well.  They  played  snooker  pool,  a  game  at  which 
Jacob  excelled,  after  dinner,  and  not  one  of  the  party 
made  the  least  objection  when  Jacob  excused  himself 
early  and  retired  to  his  room.  He  locked  his  door, 
and,  sitting  down  by  the  open  window,  lit  a  last  cig- 
arette before  turning  in.  Before  him  was  the  bay 
with  its  rock-strewn  shore,  and  the  quaint  little  tower, 
said  to  be  six  hundred  years  old,  situated  on  a  little 
island  about  fifty  yards  from  the  shore.  On  either 
side  two  heather-covered  slopes,  strewn  with  rocks, 
tumbled  almost  to  the  sea ;  and  beyond,  the  ocean. 
The  view  was  wonderful,  the  air  soft  and  delicious. 
It  was  an  hour  or  more  later  before  Jacob  turned  re- 
luctantly away.  He  was  about  to  take  off  his  din- 
ner coat  when  he  heard  a  soft  yet  firm  knocking  at  his 
door.  The  old  fears  rushed  back.  It  was  well  past 
midnight.     The  great  house  seemed  strangely  silent. 


JACOB'S   LADDER  213 

The  servants'  wing  was  far  out  of  hearing.  Jacob 
felt  a  curious  sensation  of  f  riendlessness.  The  knock- 
ing was  repeated.  He  hesitated  for  a  moment  and 
then  crossed  the  room. 

"Who's  there?"  he  demanded. 

"  I,  your  host,"  was  the  low  reply,  —  "  Delchester. 
Let  me  in  for  a  moment,  Pratt." 

Jacob  unlocked  tlie  door,  opened  it  to  admit  his 
host,  and  closed  it  again.  Somewhat  to  his  surprise, 
the  Marquis  himself  turned  the  key.  He  was  looking 
grave  and  a  little  perturbed. 

"  Pratt,"  he  said,  "  you  will  forgive  my  intrusion, 
but  you  are  a  guest  in  my  house,  and  I  feel  that  I  have 
a  somewhat  painful  duty  to  perform." 

"  Painful?  "  Jacob  repeated. 

"  Painful  because  it  will  seem  like  a  breach  of  hos- 
pitality, which  it  is  not,"  the  Marquis  continued.  "  I 
am  here,  Pratt,  to  beg  that  you  will  leave  my  house 
early  to-morrow  morning." 

*'  But  I  have  only  just  arrived !  "  Jacob  exclaimed. 
"What  have  I  done?" 

"You  have  done  nothing,"  his  host  assured  him. 
"  Your  deportment  has  been  in  every  respect  exem- 
plary, and  believe  me  I  regret  very  much  the  position 
I  am  obliged  to  take  up.  But  let  me  add  that  it  is 
entirely  in  j^our  own  interests.  I  have  become  aware 
of  certain  designs  on  the  part  of  Mr.  Dane  Montague 
and  his  friend,  which  would  make  your  further  stay 
here,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  dangerous." 


214  JACOB'S   LADDER 

"  This  is  very  kind  of  you,  Lord  Delchester," 
Jacob  said,  "  but  does  n't  it  seem  to  you  that,  if  this 
is  the  case,  the  persons  who  ought  to  leave  are  Mr. 
Dane  Montague  and  Hartwell?  " 

"  You  are  quite  right,"  the  Marquis  acknowl- 
edged. "  You  are  absolutely  right.  But  I  will  be 
frank  with  you.  I  am  under  great  obligations  to  Mr. 
Dane  Montague,  obligations  which  I  expect  will  be 
increased  rather  than  diminished.  I  am  exceedingly 
anxious  not  to  quarrel  with  him.  I  cannot  possibly 
countenance  the  scheme  which  he  and  his  friend  have 
on  foot  against  you,  so  under  the  circumstances  my 
only  alternative  is  to  beg  you  to  leave  by  the  first 
train  to-morrow  morning." 

Jacob  sighed.  Somehow  or  other,  the  dangers 
which  had  failed  to  materialise  had  become  small 
things. 

"  I  can  only  do  as  you  desire.  Marquis,"  he  con- 
sented. "  For  myself,  I  am  not  afraid.  I  am  per- 
fectly content  to  take  my  chance." 

The  Marquis  shook  his  head. 

"  There  is  too  much  cunning  on  the  other  side," 
he  declared.  "  The  struggle  would  not  be  equal. 
You  will  be  called  at  six  o'clock,  and  I  shall  give  my- 
self the  pleasure  of  breakfasting  with  you  at  half- 
past  six  downstairs.  And,  I  have  a  further  favour 
to  ask  you.  I  do  not  wish  my  wife  or  daughter  to  be 
aware  of  the  circumstances  which  have  led  to  my 
having   to    make   you   this    regrettable    request.      I 


JACOB'S  LADDER  215 

should  be  glad  if  you  would  write  a  line,  say  to  my 
daughter,  regretting  that  you  are  compelled  to  return 
to  town  on  business." 

Jacob  sighed  once  more,  sat  down  and  wrote  as 
desired.     His  host  thrust  the  note  into  his  pocket. 

"  I  wish  you  good  night,"  he  said.  "  We  shall 
meet  in  the  morning,  and,  if  I  might  ask  it,  would  you 
make  as  little  noise  as  possible  in  your  movements? 
I  do  not  wish  those  fellows  to  know  that  you  are 
leaving  until  you  are  safe  in  the  train.  Your  lug- 
gage can  be  sent  after  you." 

The  Marquis  made  a  dignified  exit,  and  Jacob,  with 
a  shrug  of  the  shoulders,  undressed  and  tumbled  into 
bed.  On  the  whole,  he  was  surprised  to  find  that  his 
chief  sensation  was  one  of  disappointment.  When  he 
was  called  in  the  morning  and  found  the  sunshine  fill- 
ing the  room,  he  felt  half  inclined  to  make  a  further 
appeal  to  his  host's  hospitality.  The  Marquis  gave 
him  little  opportunity,  however.  He  was  fully 
dressed  and  presided  with  dignity  at  a  bountiful 
breakfast.  He  was  looking  a  little  tired,  and  he 
confessed  that  he  had  slept  badly. 

"  I  find  myself,"  he  told  Jacob,  as  the  meal  was 
concluded,  "  in  an  exceedingly  painful  situation.  I 
have  never  before  had  to  ask  a  guest  to  leave  my 
house,  and  I  resent  very  much  the  necessity." 

"  I  am  willing  to  take  my  risk,"  Jacob  suggested. 

Tlie  INIarquis  shook  his  head. 

"  You  do  not  know  what  the  risks  are,"  he  an- 


216  JACOB'S   LADDER 

swered.  "  I  do.  Come  and  walk  outside  with 
me,  Mr.  Pratt.  We  have  half  an  hour  before 
we  leave.  My  people  were  more  than  ordinarily 
punctual." 

They  strolled  down  towards  the  sea.  Jacob  asked 
curious  questions  about  the  little  tower,  and  the 
Marquis  unfastened  a  rope  which  held  a  flat-bottomed 
boat. 

"  I  will  take  you  across  the  channel,"  he  proposed, 
"  and  we  will  visit  it.  We  have  never  had  a  visitor 
yet  who  has  departed  without  seeing  the  keep.  As 
a  matter  of  fact,  it  is  far  older  than  the  house,  and 
quite  a  curiosity  of  architecture." 

Tliey  crossed  the  tidal  channel,  the  Marquis  pad- 
dling with  slow  but  graceful  strokes.  Arrived  on 
the  other  side,  he  secured  the  boat  and  led  the  way 
up  a  precipitous  ledge  to  a  nail-studded  door,  which 
he  opened  with  a  key  from  a  bunch  which  he  had 
drawn  from  his  pocket. 

"  The  downstair  rooms  are  scarcely  safe,"  he  said, 
"  there  is  so  much  fallen  masonry,  but  the  one  I  am 
going  to  show  you  is  our  great  pride.  You  will  find 
our  visitors'  book  there." 

He  preceded  his  guest  up  a  circular  staircase,  lit 
only  b}'  some  narrow  slits  in  the  walls.  At  the  top 
he  opened  another  door  and  Jacob  stepped  into  a 
great  bare  room.  At  the  further  end,  through  a 
broad  aperture,  was  a  magnificent  view  of  the  open 
sea.     Jacob  stepped  forward  to  peer  out.     As  he 


JACOB'S  LADDER  217 

passed  across  the  room,  through  another  aperture, 
facing  landwards,  he  saw  the  dogcart  driven  out  of 
the  stable  yard,  down  the  avenue,  towards  the  moor- 
land road  which  led  to  the  station. 

"  Hullo,"  he  called  out,  "  is  n't  that  my  carriage 
over  there  ?  " 

He  turned  around.  He  was  alone  in  the  room,  and 
from  outside  came  the  ominous  sound  of  the  key 
turning  in  the  lock.  He  strode  towards  it  and 
shouted  through  the  grating  which  was  let  into  the 
top  part  of  the  door. 

"  Hi !     Lord  Delchester !  " 

The  Marquis's  face  appeared  on  the  other  side 
of  the  grating.  He  carefully  shook  the  door,  to  be 
sure  that  it  was  locked. 

"  Mr.  Pratt,"  he  said,  "  you  enter  now  upon  a  new 
phase  of  your  stay  at  Kelsoton  Castle.  If  3'OU  look 
around  the  walls,  you  Avill  find  the  initials  of  your 
predecessors  carved  in  many  different  forms.  I  trust 
that  you  will  make  3'Ourself  as  comfortable  as  pos- 
sible under  the  circumstances." 

"  Am  I  a  prisoner?  "  Jacob  asked. 

Tlic  IMarquis  coughed. 

*'  I  prefer  to  follow  the  example  of  my  ances- 
tors   and    look    upon    you    as    a    hostage    awaiting 


ransom." 


Then  all  that  talk  of  yours  about  getting  me  out 
of  danger  was  bunkum.^  " 

Your  phraseology  is  offensively  modern,  but  your 


a 


218  JACOB'S   LADDER 

conclusions  are  correct,"  the  Marquis  acknowledged. 
"  We  could  think  of  no  other  way  in  which  you  might 
be  induced  to  enter  the  prison  tower  of  Kelsoton, 
bearing  in  mind  your  suspicions  of  Montague  and 
Hartwell." 

Jacob  stood  on  tiptoe  and  looked  through  the 
bars.  The  mien  of  the  Marquis  was  as  composed  as 
his  tone.  A  paste  stone  in  the  buckle  which  fastened 
his  tartan  glittered  in  the  dim  light. 

"  Lord  Delchester,"  he  said,  "  I  have  only  a  com- 
moner's ideas  of  hospita.lity.  Is  it  in  accord- 
ance with  your  sense  of  honour  to  decoy  and  im- 
prison a  guest  in  order  to  subject  him  to  ill-treat- 
ment from  a  couple  of  curs  like  Montague  and 
Hartwell  ?  " 

The  Marquis  was  unperturbed. 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Pratt,"  he  replied,  "  conduct  which 
would  perhaps  not  commend  itself  to  you,  with  your 
more  limited  outlook,  has  been  hallowed  to  the  mem- 
bers of  my  family  by  the  customs  of  a  thousand  years. 
The  great  Roderick  Currie,  my  grandfather  many 
times  removed  in  the  direct  line,  invited  here  once 
seven  lairds  of  the  neighbouring  country  for  some 
marriage  celebrations.  You  will  find  their  initials 
carved  somewhere  near  the  right-hand  window. 
Four  of  them  escaped  with  the  loss  of  half  their 
estates.  The  remaining  three,  I  regret  to  say,  were 
unreasonable.  Two  of  them  were  drowned  and  one 
was  stabbed." 


JACOB'S  LADDER  219 

"What  are  the  terms  of  my  release?  "  Jacob  de- 
manded. 

"  It  is  not  within  my  province  to  discuss  financial 
details,"  the  Marquis  answered  stiffly.  "  Mr.  Mon- 
tague will  probably  visit  you  during  the  day.  I  bid 
you  good  morning." 


CHAPTER    XXI 

Jacob  watched  the  departure  of  his  host,  through 
a  sht  in  the  wall,  with  fascinated  eyes.  First  of  all 
he  saw  him  paddle  across  the  channel  to  the  other 
side,  secure  the  boat  and  pause  to  light  a  cigarette. 
Afterwards,  on  his  way  back  to  the  Castle,  he  entered 
the  walled  gardens,  plucked  a  peach  from  the  wall 
and  ate  it.  Finally  he  disappeared  down  one  of  the 
yew-bordered  walks.  The  house  still  seemed  wrapped 
in  slumber.  Jacob  took  stock  of  his  surroundings. 
Tlie  walls  which,  to  judge  from  the  slits,  were  about 
three  feet  thick,  were  of  rude  granite.  There  was  no 
fireplace,  no  chair,  no  furniture  of  any  sort.  The 
floor  was  of  cold  stone.  The  place  in  itself  was 
enough  to  strike  a  chill  into  one's  heart.  One  huge 
aperture  looked  out  upon  the  open  sea,  sloping  down 
towards  it.  The  other,  much  narrower,  commanded 
a  view  of  the  house.  There  was  nothing  else  to  dis- 
cover. He  counted  his  cigarettes  and  found  sixteen, 
with  an  ample  supply  of  matches.  He  lit  one,  and, 
taking  off  his  coat  for  a  seat,  sat  upon  the  floor  and 
leaned  back  against  the  wall. 


JACOB'S   LADDER  221 

In  about  two  hours  and  a  half  the  house  began  to 
show  some  signs  of  life.  In  about  three  hours, 
Jacob's  heart  gave  a  httle  jump  as  he  saw  Lady 
Mary  scramble  down  the  little  piece  of  shelving  beach 
and  examine  the  rope  by  which  the  boat  was  secured. 
She  lifted  one  of  the  oars,  which  was  still  wet,  and 
then  without  hesitation  turned  and  hurried  back  to 
the  house.  In  less  than  half  an  hour,  he  saw  her 
mounted  on  a  rough  but  useful-looking  pony,  canter- 
ing down  the  drive.  Somehow  or  other,  she  seemed 
to  him,  even  at  that  moment,  like  a  messenger  of  hope. 
An  hour  later,  Montague  and  Hartwell  came  strolling 
down,  smoking  huge  cigars.  The  latter  unfastened 
the  rope  and  paddled  clumsily  across.  A  few  min- 
utes later,  Jacob  heard  the  turning  of  the  keys  in  the 
lock  of  the  outer  door  and  their  footsteps  ascending 
the  stairs.  Montague  peered  in  through  the  bars. 
A  little  cloud  of  tobacco  smoke  blew  into  the  place. 

"  Well,  Jacob,  my  Napoleon  of  finance,  how  goes 
it.''  "  he  enquired  lightly. 

"  If  you  '11  step  inside  for  two  minutes,  I  '11  show 
you,"  Jacob  answered. 

Mr.  Dane  Montague  chuckled. 

"  I  have  never  graduated  in  the  fistic  arts  myself," 
he  confessed.  "  Besides,  once  bit,  twice  shy,  you 
know.  We  are  going  to  put  this  little  thing  through 
without  any  unnecessary  risk." 

"  What  is  it?  "  Jacob  demanded.     "  Money?  " 

"  Money  comes  in  all  riglit,"  Hartwell  muttered 


222  JACOB'S  LADDER 

from  behind,  in  an  evil  tone,  "  but  I  guess  there  's 
something  more  than  that  coming  to  you  before  you 
quit,  Pratt." 

"  Why  don't  you  come  in  and  give  it  me,  then?  " 
Jacob  asked.  "  You  're  a  bigger  man  than  I  am,  by 
a  long  way." 

"  We  're  going  to  wait  a  bit,"  Hartwell  retorted 
\^nth  a  chuckle.  "  You  've  been  living  a  little  high, 
Jacob  Pratt.  We  think  your  system  wants  lower- 
ing." 

"  You  're  not  talking  business  yet,  then?  " 

"  Not  just  yet,  my  dear  friend,"  Montague  inter- 
posed. "  It  seems  a  shame  to  have  taken  a  dislike  to 
so  amiable  a  gentleman,  but  the  fact  remains  that  we 
do  not  like  you,  Joe  Hartwell  and  I.  Once  or  twice 
you  have  been  too  clever  for  us.  We  want  to  linger 
over  the  time  when  we  are  just  a  little  too  clever  for 
you.     So  au  revoir,  Jacob  Pratt,  until  after  lunch." 

Tliey  came  again  after  lunch,  redolent  of  food  and 
drink  and  tobacco. 

"  What  about  a  cold  chicken  and  a  pint  of  Mumm, 
eh?  "  Montague  suggested  through  the  bars. 

"  Go  to  hell !  "  Jacob,  who  had  forgotten  his  early 
breakfast  and  liked  his  meals  regularly,  retorted. 

They  indulged  in  a  few  other  pleasantries,  which 
Jacob  cut  short  with  an  abrupt  question. 

"  How  long  is  this  tomfoolery'  going  on?  "  he  de- 
manded. "  What 's  the  end  of  it  all  going  to 
be?" 


JACOB'S   LADDER  223 

Montague,  with  his  unpleasant,  leering  face,  was 
pushed  away  from  behind  the  grating.  Hartwell 
took  his  place. 

"  You  're  going  to  be  paid  out  for  that  upper  cut 
you  gave  me,  for  one  thing,"  he  announced.  "  We  're 
going  to  wait  until  you  're  tamed,  and  then  you  're 
going  to  be  thrashed  within  an  inch  of  your  life. 
After  that,  there  's  a  little  estate  of  the  Marquis's 
round  here  you  might  like  to  buy.  We  've  got  the 
agreement  all  drawn  out." 

"  And  after  that,"  Montague  shouted,  "  God 
knows  what  will  happen  to  you !  ".  .   . 

The  afternoon  wore  on.  Towards  five  o'clock, 
Jacob,  who  was  sitting  in  a  corner,  holding  his  head, 
was  conscious  of  a  strange  sound  from  seawards. 
He  hurried  over  to  the  other  window.  In  a  little 
dinghy,  tossed  like  a  cork  by  the  heavy  swell,  he 
could  see  Lady  Mary,  in  an  exceedingly  becoming 
bathing  dress,  tr3'ing  to  balance  herself  with  an  oar 
against  the  side  of  the  precipitous  cliff. 

"  Are  you  in  there?  "  she  called  out. 

"Hullo!"  Jacob  answered.  "I  should  think  I 
was ! " 

She  leaned  down  and  picked  up  a  sea-fishing  rod. 
Jacob  was  terrified  as  he  saw  her  swaying  backwards 
and  forwards. 

"  Be  careful !  "  he  shouted. 

"  I  'm  all  right,"  she  assured  him.  "  If  I  get  a 
ducking,  don't  be  afraid.     I  'm  out  for  a  swim,  any- 


224  JACOB'S  LADDER 

way.  If  I  can  cast  inside  the  opening  there,  can  you 
reach  it?  " 

"  If  it 's  anything  to  eat,  I  will,"  he  promised. 

"  Here  goes,  then !  " 

At  the  fifth  or  sixth  attempt,  a  package,  wrapped 
in  oilskins,  landed  inside  the  aperture.  Jacob,  lift- 
ing himself  from  the  floor,  reached  it  at  once,  undid 
the  fastening,  and  sent  the  line  clear. 

"  Don't  go  away,"  she  cried.  "  There 's  whisky 
coming." 

"  Angel !  "  he  shouted. 

"  May  take  me  some  time,"  she  called  back.  "  I  've 
had  to  take  out  a  joint  of  the  rod  to  carry  the 
weight." 

At  the  third  attempt,  a  couple  of  flasks,  tied  to- 
gether, came  clattering  into  the  aperture.  Jacob 
pounced  upon  them  with  joy. 

"  There 's  some  water  there,"  she  told  him. 
*'  Throw  all  the  paper  away.  I  '11  be  round  again 
in  the  morning  before  any  one  's  up,  at  about  five 
o'clock.  Don't  let  them  scare  you.  I  'm  doing 
things." 

"  Bless  you !  "  he  called  out. 

"  Do  you  like  this  bathing  suit,  or  do  you  prefer 
the  one  I  wore  yesterday?  " 

"  You  look  divine,"  he  answered.  "  So  do  these 
beef  sandwiches." 

"  What  luck  those  apertures  slope  downwards," 
she  said,  "  or  you  could  n't  see  me !  " 


JACOB'S  LADDER  225 

"  The  luck  of  my  life,"  he  agreed,  with  his  mouth 
full. 

"  Do  you  know  why  they  do  slope  downwards  ?  " 
she  asked. 

"  No  idea." 

"  So  that  prisoners,  when  they  get  tired  of  it,  can 
roll  down  into  the  sea." 

"  I  shan't  be  tired  of  this  for  a  long  time,"  he  as- 
sured her. 

There  was  a  pause.  Jacob  ceased  eating  for  a 
moment  to  gaze  with  admiration  at  the  girl  in  the 
boat,  carried  up  and  down  by  the  swell,  but  balancing 
herself  always  with  an  amazing  confidence. 

"  I  say,  I  'm  awfully  sorry  about  this,"  she  called 
up. 

"  Seems  a  trifle  feudal,"  he  replied.  "  What  will 
be  done  with  my  remains  ?  " 

"  You  eat  your  sandwiches  and  don't  worry,"  she 
insisted.  "  I  told  you  I  was  doing  things.  If  they 
get  violent,  I  '11  take  a  hand,  —  I  '11  have  to  get  back 
unless  I  want  to  be  swamped.".   .  . 

Jacob  ate  half  his  sandwiches,  drank  a  good  deal 
of  whisky  and  water,  and  took  a  little  exercise.  He 
then  had  a  nap,  woke  up  and  finished  his  sandwiches 
with  an  amazingh^  good  appetite,  had  another  whisky 
and  water  and  thrust  the  flask  into  his  pocket.  He 
lit  a  cigarette,  doubled  up  his  coat,  and  was  lounging 
against  the  wall  when  he  heard  the  key  once  more  turn 
in  the  lock  of  the  downstair  door.     There  was  the 


226  JACOB'S  LADDER 

sound  of  ascending  footsteps,  and  presently  Mon- 
tague's glittering  shirt  front  appeared  through  the 
grating.  Joe  Hartwell  again  was  by  his  side.  They 
peered  in. 

"  Cheerio !  "  Jacob  exclaimed. 

Montague  was  a  little  taken  aback. 

"  You  're  bearing  up  pretty  well,"  he  observed. 

"  What  have  I  got  to  bear  up  about?  "  Jacob  de- 
manded.    "  I  've  just  had  a  damned  good  meal." 

Montague  regarded  his  prisoner  with  a  gleam  of 
admiration  in  his  face. 

"  You  're  a  well  plucked  'un,  Pratt,"  he  observed. 
"  What  a  saddle  of  mutton  we  've  just  had  for  din- 


ner!" 


"  Nothing  to  the  sirloin  I  've  just  had,"  Jacob  re- 
joined. 

Hartwell  pushed  a  flask  of  water  and  a  hunk  of 
bread  through  the  grating. 

"  Here,"  he  said,  "  do  you  feel  like  giving  a  tenner 
for  a  whisky  and  soda  ?  " 

"  I  'm  not  thirsty,  thanks,"  Jacob  replied,  collect- 
ing his  supper.  "  These  will  make  an  excellent  meal 
for  me." 

"  He  's  a  little  wonder,"  Montague  muttered. 

"  Nothing  to  be  done  with  him  to-night,"  Hartwell 
growled.     "  Let 's  leave  the  Httle  blighter." 

Jacob  slept  amazingly  well.  He  was  awakened  by 
the  sound  of  a  soft  and  insistent  whistle  below.  He 
sprang  up  and  looked  through  the  aperture.     The 


JACOB'S   LADDER  227 

wind  had  dropped  in  the  night.  Eastwards  were 
long  bars  of  amber  and  mauve,  piercing  the  faint 
mist.  Below,  Lady  Mary  scarcely  rocked  in  her 
boat. 

"  Well,  dear  guest,"  she  called  up,  "  how  was  the 
spare-room  bed?  " 

"  Hard,"  he  admitted.  "  Never  mind,  I  've  slept 
like  a  top." 

"  Listen,"  she  continued.  "  It 's  such  a  wonderful 
morning  that  I  've  brought  you  quite  a  stock.  No 
one  comes  in  the  room,  do  they?  " 

"  They  dare  n't,"  Jacob  answered  tersely. 

"  I  'm  sending  you  up  some  nails  and  string. 
What  you  can't  eat  or  drink  now,  you  can  let  hang 
down.  And  listen.  I  'm  sending  you  something  else 
up.     Don't  use  it  unless  they  get  brutal." 

"  They  're  waiting  for  me  to  lose  strength !  "  Jacob 
chuckled.  "  I  never  felt  so  fit  in  my  life.  How  high 
is  it  from  this  window?  " 

"  Thirty  feet." 

"  Why  should  n't  I  make  a  dive  for  it  ?  "  he  sug- 
gested. 

"  Because  there  are  sunken  rocks  everywhere 
around,"  she  replied.  "  I  could  n't  get  here  myself 
unless  I  knew  the  way.     Now,  then,  get  ready." 

One  by  one,  a  flask  of  coffee,  two  packets  of  sand- 
wiches, a  small  box  of  nails  and  some  string  reached 
him,  and  last  of  all  a  small  revolver,  fully  charged. 

"  Got  everything?  "  she  asked. 


228  JACOB'S   LADDER 

"  Rather !  "  he  answered.  "  How  is  your  hos- 
pitable father?  " 

"  A  little  impatient,"  she  answered.  "  He  is  going 
to  sell  you  a  couple  of  thousand  acres  of  moor  and  a 
tumble-down  manse  for  thirty  thousand  pounds." 

"  Is  he?  "  Jacob  asked.  "  Shall  I  be  able  to  wear 
kilts  and  have  a  bagpipe  man?  " 

"  Tliere  are  no  feudal  rights,"  she  told  him.  *'  Be- 
sides, I  don't  think  you  'd  look  well  in  kilts." 

"  Well,  there  is  n't  going  to  be  any  thirty  thousand 
pounds,"  Jacob  declared. 

She  took  out  her  oars. 

"  I  hope  some  day  you  '11  make  up  to  me  for  all 
this,"  she  said.  "  I  seem  to  spend  the  whole  of  my 
time  looking  after  you." 

"  If  it  were  n't  for  that  fellow  Maurice !  "  Jacob 
called  after  her,  as  she  disappeared. 

They  left  him  alone  that  day  until  after  luncheon, 
and  Jacob  began  to  find  the  time  hang  heavily  upon 
his  hands.  There  was  very  little  to  watch  except 
the  wheeling  seagulls,  now  and  then  a  distant  steamer, 
and  the  waves  breaking  upon  the  crag-strewn  shore. 
Through  the  landward  aperture,  the  great  house  all 
through  the  long,  sunny  morning  seemed  somnolent, 
almost  deserted,  but  towards  luncheon  time  a  motor- 
car arrived  from  the  direction  of  the  station,  con- 
taining a  single  passenger.  About  half  an  hour 
later  three  men  came  down  the  shingle,  stepped  into 
the  boat  and  paddled  across  towards  the  tower, — 


JACOB'S  LADDER  229 

Montague,  Hartwell,  and  a  brawny,  thickset  com- 
panion dressed  in  a  rather  loud  black-and-white 
check  suit  and  a  cap  of  the  same  material.  Jacob 
sat  facing  the  door  with  his  hand  behind  his  back. 
Some  slices  of  bread  and  a  bottle  of  water  were 
pushed  through  the  grating,  as  before.  Then  Mon- 
tague's face  appeared,  sleek  and  smiling,  with  a  new- 
glitter  of  malevolence  in  the  beady  eyes. 

"  What  about  luncheon  to-day,  Jacob?  "  he  de- 
manded. "  A  small  chicken  pie  and  a  cold  sirloin  of 
beef,  eh,  with  lettuce  and  tomato  salad,  and  half  a 
Stilton  to  follow.  A  glass  or  two  of  port  with  the 
che^e,  if  3'ou  fancy  it." 
Jacob  shook  his  head. 

"  I  've  done  better  than  that,"  he  replied.  "  I  've 
had  pdte-de-foie-gras  sandwiches  and  a  pint  of  cham- 
pagne. I  wish  you  fellows  would  n't  disturb  my 
after-luncheon  nap.  I  'd  much  rather  you  looked 
in  about  tea  time." 

Hartwell  dragged  his  companion  to  one  side  and 
pressed  his  own  clean-shaven,  pudgy  face  against  the 
bars. 

"  Say,  Jacob  Pratt,"  he  began,  "  just  put  that 
bluff  away  for  a  moment,  if  j'ou  can.  I  want  a  word 
with  you." 

"  Tliere  is  nothing  to  prevent  it,"  Jacob  assured 
him.     "  I  am  an  earnest  listener." 

"  You  fancy  yourself  some  as  a  boxer,  don't  you.''  '* 
queried  Hartwell. 


230  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  You  ought  to  know  what  I  can  do,"  Jacob  an- 
swered, with  a  reminiscent  smile. 

Hartwell's  face  darkened. 

"  Curse  you,  you  httle  pup !  "  he  muttered.  "  Any- 
ways," he  went  on,  "  you  won't  be  quite  so  flip  with 
your  tongue  in  half  an  hour's  time.  We  've  a  gentle- 
man here  from  Glasgow  come  down  to  amuse  you. 
Like  to  have  a  look  at  him?  " 

The  door  was  opened  and  closed  again.  The  man 
in  the  black-and-white  check  suit  entered.  Seen  at 
close  quarters,  he  turned  out  to  be  a  very  fine  speci- 
men of  the  bull-necked,  sandy-haired  prize  fighter. 
He  came  about  a  yard  into  the  place  and  stood  grin- 
ning at  Jacob. 

"Like  an  introduction?"  Hartwell  continued. 
"  Shake  hands  with  the  Glasgow  Daisy,  then  —  Mr. 
Jacob  Pratt." 

Jacob  looked  the  newcomer  up  and  down. 

"  To  what  am  I  indebted,"  he  asked,  "  for  this  un- 
expected pleasure?  " 

The  Glasgow  Daisy  grinned  again,  until  his  face 
seemed  all  freckles  and  flashing  white  teeth. 

"  Guv'nor,"  he  announced,  "  I  've  got  to  give  you 
a  hiding,  but  I  'd  never  have  taken  the  job  on  if  I  'd 
known  you  were  a  bantam  weight.  Better  come  on 
and  get  it  over.  I  shan't  do  more  than  knock  you 
about  a  bit." 

"  I  don't  think  you  '11  even  do  that,"  Jacob  re- 
plied, without  moving. 


JACOB'S   LADDER  231 

The  man  solemnly  took  off  his  coat,  unfastened  his 
collar  and  tie  and  turned  up  his  shirt  sleeves  as 
though  he  meant  business. 

"  Come  on,  guv'nor,"  he  invited,  making  a  feint  in 
Jacob's  direction.  "  I  won't  hurt  you  more  than  I 
can  help." 

Jacob  withdrew  his  right  hand  from  behind  his 
back,  and  the  little  revolver  which  he  was  holding 
flashed  in  a  glint  of  sunshine. 

"  I  '11  give  you  till  I  count  ten  to  get  outside,"  he 
said. 

Tlie  man  promptly  abandoned  his  sparring  posi- 
tion and  turned  towards  the  grating. 

"  'Ere,"  he  called  out  truculently,  "  see  that, 
guv'nor.''  " 

"Don't  be  afraid,"  Hartwell  rejoined.  "It  isn't 
loaded." 

The  prize  fighter  took  a  step  forward. 

"...  ten,"  concluded  Jacob,  v,ho  had  been 
counting  all  the  time. 

There  was  a  sharp  report  and  a  yell  of  pain.  The 
prize  fighter,  hopping  on  his  right  leg  and  holding 
his  left  ankle,  seized  a  bar  of  the  grating. 

"  If  you  don't  let  me  out,  you  b  —  y  b  —  s,  I  'II 
pound  you  both  into  a  jelly!"  he  shouted.  "I've 
a  damned  good  mind  to  do  it  now !  This  '11  cost  you 
five  liundred  quid,  this  will !  If  I  can't  fight  next 
Tuesday,  it  '11  cost  you  a  thousand.  Open  the  b  —  y 
door!" 


232  JACOB'S  LADDER 

They  let  him  out,  and  Jacob,  through  the  aperture, 
watched  the  three  men  make  slow  progress  to  the 
boat,  one  on  each  side  supporting  the  Glasgow  Daisy, 
whose  language  the  whole  of  the  way  was  vociferous 
and  obscene.  Afterwards  Jacob  once  more  found 
time  hanging  heavily  upon  his  hands.  He  sharpened 
his  penknife  and  commenced  to  carve  his  initials  on 
the  wall.  There  were  no  signs  of  Lady  Mary  or  any 
other  visitors  until  after  dinner.  Then  the  Marquis 
came  slowly  down  from  the  castle,  paused  to  light  a 
cigarette  when  he  reached  the  boat,  and  paddled  him- 
self over,  looking  around  all  the  time  with  the  air 
of  one  enjoying  the  scenery  and  the  beautiful  even- 
ing. Finally  he  climbed  the  stone  stairs  and  pre- 
sented himself  at  the  other  side  of  the  grating. 

"  Mr.  Pratt,"  he  said,  "  I  am  sorry  that  you  did 
not  appreciate  our  friends'  little  effort  to  provide 
you  with  some  amusement  in  the  way  of  your  favour- 
ite sport." 

"  Thank  you,"  Jacob  replied,  "  I  don't  fight  pro- 
fessional heavyweights." 

"  I  am  afraid,"  the  Marquis  observed  with  a  sigh, 
"  that  this  particular  heavyweight  will  not  be  in 
fighting  trim  again  for  some  months.  A  heavy  re- 
sponsibility for  you,  Mr.  Pratt." 

Jacob  smiled. 

"  I  did  n't  engage  him,"  he  said. 

"  In  a  sense,  perhaps,  you  did  not,"  the  Marquis 
admitted,  "  but  yours  appears  to  be  the  hand  which 


JACOB'S  LADDER  233 

maimed  him.  The  Glasgow  Daisy,  as  I  believe  he 
is  called  in  pugilistic  circles,  appears  to  be  a  person 
of  considerable  determination,  not  to  say  obstinacy. 
He  declines  to  leave  the  Castle  until  he  has  received  at 
least  five  hundred  pounds  on  account  of  his  injury. 
I  left  him  arguing  the  matter  with  Mr.  Montague. 
The  interview  promised  to  be  a  stormy  one.'* 

Jacob  laughed  softly. 

"  I  hope  he  gives  them  both  a  hiding,"  he  remarked. 

The  Marquis  coughed,  and,  coming  a  little  nearer 
to  the  grating,  scrutinised  Jacob  with  some  surprise. 

"  You  seem  to  be  keeping  very  fit,"  he  observed. 

"  Doing  me  a  lot  of  good,  this  change  of  diet,'* 
Jacob  assured  him.     "  We  all  eat  too  much," 

"  Nevertheless,"  the  Marquis  proceeded,  "  we  feel 
that  it  is  time  our  little  enterprise  was  ended.  I 
have  a  fancy  to  have  you  for  a  neighbour,  Mr. 
Pratt." 

"  Very  charming  of  you,"  Jacob  replied.  "  So 
far  as  I  have  seen  anything  of  the  country  around,  I 
like  it." 

"  That,"  the  Marquis  rejoined,  *'  simplifies  mat- 
ters. The  Lasswade  Moor  Estate,  adjoining  mine, 
is  yours  for  fifty  thousand  pounds.  I  have  the  agree- 
ment in  my  pocket.  To-morrow  the  price  will  be 
fifty-five  thousand,  and  the  next  day  sixty  thou- 
sand." 

"  When  can  I  inspect  the  property.''  "  Jacob  asked. 

The  Marquis  coughed. 


234  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  I  fear,"  he  replied,  "  that  there  will  be  no  oppor- 
tunity for  anything  of  that  sort.  You  must  take  my 
word  for  it  that  the  land  which,  although  fortunately 
unentailed,  has  been  in  the  possession  of  my  family 
for  centuries,  is  in  every  respect  desirable." 

"Moorland  and  boulder-strewn  heath,  I  sup- 
pose.'' "  Jacob  queried. 

"  It  possesses  the  characteristics  of  common  land," 
the  other  admitted.  "  It  would  make  an  excellent 
golf  links." 

"  Nothing  doing,"  Jacob  decided.  "  When  I  buy 
an  estate,  I  shall  want  a  house  with  it." 

"  A  mansion  suitable  to  your  requirements  could 
easily  be  built." 

Jacob  shook  his  head. 

"  The  idea  of  building  a  modern  house  in  such  a 
spot,"  he  said,  "  distresses  me." 

"  I  understand,  then,  that  you  decline  to  purchase 
my  property?  "  the  Marquis  asked  regretfully. 

"  In  toto  and  absolutely,"  was  the  firm  reply. 
"  In  other  v/ords,  I  am  not  having  any." 

"  In  that  case,"  the  visitor  announced,  after  a 
brief  pause,  "  it  is  my  somewhat  painful  duty  to  tell 
you  that  we  have  decided  to  stop  your  daily  supply 
of  bread  and  water.     You  thrive  too  well  on  it." 

"  Just  as  you  like,"  was  the  careless  rejoinder. 
"*'  I  can  do  with  or  without  food." 

Tlie  Marquis  contemplated  his  guest  for  several 
moments  in  silence. 


JACOB'S   LADDER  235 

"  You  will  permit  me  to  say,  Mr.  Pratt,  that  your 
courage  moves  me  to  the  profoundest  admiration," 
he  declared  at  last.  "  I  trust  that  after  this  little 
business  negotiation  is  concluded,  I  shall  have  the 
privilege  of  your  friendship  for  many  years  to  come." 

"You're  rather  boring  me,"  Jacob  told  him 
mildly.  "  I  want  to  get  on  with  my  initials.  I  'ra 
doing  them  in  Old  English." 

"  I  should  be  sorry  to  interfere  with  so  courteous  a 
duty,"  the  Marquis  replied  —  and  departed. 


CHAPTER    XXII 

From  that  time  onward,  notwithstanding  Jacob's 
unbroken  composure,  time  began  to  hang  heavily. 
Towards  evening,  he  pulled  up  one  of  his  strings  and 
found  sandwiches  and  whisky  enough  to  keep  him 
going.  He  received  no  more  visitors,  friendly  or 
otherwise,  and  he  listened  in  vain  until  nightfall  for 
the  sound  of  Lady  Mary's  boat.  In  the  morning, 
however,  he  was  awakened  early  by  the  sound  of  her 
whistle  below.  The  room  was  half  full  of  grey  mist. 
Leaning  out  of  the  aperture,  he  could  scarcely  dis- 
tinguish her  form  as  she  stood  up  in  the  boat,  and 
in  the  distance  he  could  hear  foghorns  from  passing; 
steamers  blowing. 

"  How  are  you?  "  she  asked  anxiously. 

"  Right  as  a  trivet,"  he  assured  her.  "  Wish  I 
had  a  mirror,  though,  to  see  how  I  look  in  a  beard." 

She  scrutinised  his  appearance  and  laughed  softU^ 
balancing  herself  easily  against  the  oar  which  she  had 
stretched  out  to  the  side  of  the  tower.  The  moisture 
of  the  sea  was  upon  her  face  and  hair.     A  very  be- 


JACOB'S  LADDER  237 

coming  peignoir  imperfectly  concealed  her  bathing 
dress. 

"  I  never  realised  before  what  a  spick-and-span 
person  you  were,"  she  observed.  "  You  are  begin- 
ning to  look  a  little  dishevelled,  are  n't  you?  Would 
you  really  like  me  to  bring  you  a  mirror  and  some 
shaving  things?  " 

"  Are  3'ou  beginning  to  make  fun  of  me?  "  he  asked, 
leaning  a  little  farther  out. 

She  shook  her  head,  and  he  realised  suddenly  that 
there  was  a  note  of  tragedy  underneath  her  assumed 
cheerfulness.  He  went  on  talking  desperately,  try- 
ing not  to  notice  the  quiver  of  her  lips. 

"  Because  if  you  are  I  shall  slip  down  and  do  my 
famous  dive  act.  I  don't  believe  in  your  sunken 
rocks." 

"  I  forbid  you  to  try,"  she  said  firmly. 

"  I  am  in  your  hands,"  he  acquiesced. 

"  I  could  n't  come  last  night,"  she  explained. 
"  That  beast  of  a  Montague  watched  me  all  the  even- 
ing. —  Now  let  me  get  your  breakfast  up,  in  case  we 
are  interrupted." 

Tliere  followed  five  minutes  of  the  new  sport,  after 
which  Jacob  found  himself  with  a  thermos  flask  filled 
with  coffee,  a  packet  of  hard-boiled  eggs,  and  more 
sandwiches. 

"  I  should  think  that  ought  to  see  you  through," 
she  said.     "  Things  will  probably  happen  to-day." 

"  What  sort  of  things?  "  he  demanded  eagerly. 


238  JACOB'S  LADDER 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  I  shan't  tell  you  anything !  Only  I  'm  doing  my 
best."  ^ 

He  leaned  a  little  farther  out  of  the  aperture. 

"  You  're  an  amazing  person,"  he  declared.  *'  I 
can't  tell  you,  Lady  Mary,  how  grateful  I  feel  to  you. 
You  've  enabled  me  to  keep  my  end  up.  I  should  have 
hated  being  robbed  by  those  blackguards  — Hartwell 
and  Montague,  I  mean,"  he  concluded  hastily. 

She  sighed. 

*' Really,  I  have  been  rather  unselfish,"  she  rumi- 
nated. "  I  suppose  we  should  all  have  been  quite 
flush  for  a  month  or  two  if  this  little  adventure  had 
come  off." 

"  Adventure?  "  Jacob  repeated  dubiously. 

"  That 's  just  how  it  seems  to  father,"  she  con- 
tinued. "  I  suppose  you  wonder  I  'm  not  more  em- 
barrassed when  I  speak  about  him.  I  'm  not  a  bit. 
As  he  remarked  himself,  he  's  only  trying  to  modern- 
ise the  predatory  instincts  of  a  governing  clan." 

"  That 's  how  he  looks  at  it,  is  it.?  "  Jacob  mur- 
mured. 

She  nodded. 

*'  It 's  in  the  atmosphere  up  here." 

*'  How  's  the  Glasgow  Daisy.''  "  he  enquired,  after 
a  moment's  awkward  pause. 

"  Broken  ankle,"  she  told  him.  "  They  're  in  a 
terrible  state.  He  '11  have  to  cancel  all  his  fights, 
and  I  heard  Mr.  Montague  say  last  night  that  it  will 


JACOB'S   LADDER  23g 

cost  them  the  best  part  of  a  thousand  pounds  to 
settle  with  him.  .  .  .     Listen !  " 

A  moment's  silence,  then  Lady  Mary  settled  down 
to  her  oars. 

"  Voices  !  "  she  exclaimed.     "  I  'm  off." 

Jacob  looked  through  the  aperture  on  the  land- 
ward side  and  saw  pleasant  things.  First  of  all, 
through  the  mist,  loomed  up  the  figure  of  Montague, 
approaching  at  the  double.  Behind  came  Felixstowe,, 
rapidly  gaining  upon  him. 

"  Hi,  you,"  the  latter  cried,  as  Montague  stooped 
to  unfasten  the  boat,  "  let  that  rope  alone !  " 

Montague  turned  around  and  hesitated.  His  pur- 
suer stood  by  his  side. 

"  I  '11  relieve  you,  my  pretty  fellow,"  he  said. 
"  Hand  over  the  key  of  the  tower.  Come  along,  now. 
Three  seconds." 

Montague  contemplated  Felixstowe's  somewhat 
weedy  but  not  unathletic  form,  exceeded  the  time  and 
fell  ^\^th  his  head  in  the  water.  His  assailant  took 
the  key  from  his  pocket  as  he  staggered  to  his  feet, 
unfastened  the  rope  and  paddled  across  the  channel. 
A  moment  later  there  were  hasty  steps  upon  the  stone 
stairs  and  the  door  with  its  iron  grating  was  un- 
locked.    Jacob  advanced  to  meet  his  friend. 

"Jacob,  old  thing!" 

"  Felix !     By  Jove,  I  'm  glad  to  see  you !  " 

The  two  men  shook  hands.  There  was  a  moment's 
silence,   a    slightly   dubious   atmosphere.     Welcome 


240  JACOB'S   LADDER 

though  it  was,  Felixstowe's  intervention  had  its  em- 
barrassing side. 

"  You  're  looking  pretty  fit,  old  chap,  except  that 
you  need  a  barber,"  the  latter  remarked. 

"  Thanks  to  Lady  Mary,"  Jacob  told  his  deliverer. 
"  She  's  been  feeding  me  with  a  fishing  rod  from  the 
seaward  side." 

"  Good  little  sport !  It  was  she  who  sent  me  the 
telegram  —  put  me  up  to  the  game,  in  fact.  I 
warned  you,  Jacob." 

"  I  did  n't  exactly  expect  to  meet  Mr.  Montague 
up  here !  "  was  the  somewhat  grim  reply. 

"  Most  likely  spot  in  the  United  Kingdom !  — 
Shall  we  beat  it?  Got  a  car  waiting,  and  we  can 
catch  the  morning  train  from  the  junction  if  we 
hurry." 

They  descended  the  steps  in  silence,  and  Jacob 
drew  a  little  breath  of  relief  as  they  entered  the  boat. 
Montague  was  sitting  upon  the  sands  with  both  hands 
pressed  over  his  eye,  as  they  landed.  He  shrank 
back  when  he  saw  Jacob. 

"What's  become  of  the  other  one?"  Jacob  en- 
quired. 

"  Your  man  Dauncey  came  up  with  me,"  Lord 
Felixstowe  explained.  "  I  rang  him  up  directly  I  got 
Mary's  telegram.  We  met  Hartwell  just  starting  to 
follow  Montague.  I  hung  round  long  enough  to  see 
that  he  was  getting  what  he  deserved,  and  then  I  came 


on.'» 


JACOB'S   LADDER  241 

Thej  met  a  triumphant  Dauncey,  a  moment  or 
two  later. 

"Given  him  his  gruel?"  Lord  Felixstowe  asked 
pleasantly. 

"  He  's  lying  in  the  blackberry  bushes,"  was  the 
grim  reply. 

Tliey  approached  the  front  door,  where  the  motor- 
car was  standing.  The  Marquis  strolled  out  to  meet 
them,  with  a  pleasant  smile.  He  was  entirely  free 
from  embarrassment  and  he  addressed  Jacob  courte- 
ously. 

"  Mr.  Pratt,"  he  said,  "  the  fortune  of  war  has 
changed.  Breakfast  is  served  in  the  dining  room. 
Might  I  suggest  a  bath  and  a  shave.''  " 

Jacob  lost  his  head.  ^ 

"  You  damned  rascal !  "  he  exclaimed. 

Tlie  Marquis's  e3'ebrows  were  slightly  elevated. 
Otherwise  he  was  unmoved. 

"  My  dear  sir,"  he  rejoined,  with  a  gently  argu- 
mentative air,  "  of  course  I  am  a  rascal.  Every  one 
of  my  family,  from  the  days  of  the  Highland  robber 
who  founded  it,  has  been  a  rascal.  So  are  you  a 
rascal,  when  the  opportunity  presents  itself.  We  all 
fight  for  our  own  hand  in  varying  ways.  A  touch  of 
mj  ancestry  lias  evolved  this  little  scheme,  whose 
lamentable  failure  I  deplore.  A  touch  of  your  an- 
cestry, my  dear  Mr.  Pratt,  would  without  a  doubt  in- 
duce you  to  dispose  of  some  of  those  wonderful  oil 
shares  of  yours  in  a  hurry  to  a  poorer  man,  if  you 


242  JACOB'S  LADDER 

thought  their  value  was  going  to  decline.  Just  now 
I  am  faced  with  failure.  I  do  not  lose  my  temper.  I 
offer  you  freshly  broiled  trout,  a  delicious  salmon^ 
some  eggs  and  bacon,  and  hot  coffee." 

Jacob  looked  at  Lord  Felixstowe,  and  Lord  Felix- 
stowe looked  at  him.  Up  from  the  landing  stage 
came  Lady  Mary,  singing  gaily. 

"  What  about  it,  old  dear?  "  Felixstowe  asked. 
"  We  can  catch  the  eleven-twenty." 

"  Call  it  tribute,"  the  Marquis  suggested  ingrati- 
atingly, "  the  tribute  of  the  beaten  foe.  My  servant 
shall  attend  you  at  the  bathroom,  Mr.  Pratt.  Do 
not  keep  us  waiting  longer  than  you  can  help.  And 
remember,  between  ourselves  —  between  gentlemen  — 
not  a  word  about  the  matter  to  the  Marchioness  or 
Lady  Mary." 

Breakfast  at  the  Castle  was  a  sufficiently  cheerful 
meal,  chiefly  owing  to  the  efforts  of  Jacob  and  the 
Marquis.  Mr.  Dane  Montague  came  limping  past 
the  windows  but  made  no  attempt  to  join  the  party. 
Hartwell  was  reported  locked  in  his  room,  and  the 
Marchioness,  who  came  a  little  late,  seemed  utterly 
unaware  that  anything  unusual  had  happened. 

"  So  glad  to  see  you  back  again,  Mr.  Pratt,"  she 
murmured.  "  I  trust  that  you  enjoyed  your  visit  to 
your  friends." 

"  You  are  very  kind,"  Jacob  replied,  a  little  stag- 
gered. 

Mr.  Pratt  brings  us  bad  news,"  the  Marquis  in- 


ii 


JACOB'S   LADDER  243 

tervened  suavely.  "  He  is  compelled  to  return  to 
London  this  morning." 

"  Mary  will  be  very  disappointed,"  the  Marchion- 
ess observed.  "  She  has  been  so  looking  forward  to 
some  more  tennis." 

"  If  Mr.  Pratt  felt  able  to  reconsider  his  decision," 
her  husband  began  — 

"  Impossible !  "  Jacob  interrupted  curtlj'.  "  There 
.  are  considerations,"  he  added,  "  which  I  cannot  alto- 
gether ignore." 

"  Bit  of  an  exodus,  I  should  imagine,"  Felixstowe 
remarked.  "  Our  friend  Mr.  Hartwell  was  just  ring- 
ing for  a  Bradshaw  as  I  came  down." 

*'  It  is  so  difficult  to  amuse  guests  before  the  shoot- 
ing begins,"  the  Marchioness  sighed. 

Dauncey  ate  his  breakfast  in  almost  stupefied  si- 
lence. He  found  himself  alone  with  Jacob  for  a  mo- 
ment in  the  hall  afterwards. 

"  Have  we  all  gone  mad,  Jacob?  "  he  asked,  "  Or 
have  you  developed  an  hysterical  sense  of  humour.'* 
Why  have  n't  we  locked  the  old  man  up  and  sent  for 
the  police?  " 

*'  It 's  the  young  'un,"  Jacob  explained.  "  I  like 
'em  both.  Besides,  what 's  the  use  of  making  a  fuss? 
You  've  punished  Hartwell,  Felixstowe  has  settled 
with  Dane  Montague,  and  they  've  the  Glasgow  Daisy 
to  deal  with  between  them." 

*'  It 's  the  old  man  I  can't  understand,"  Dauncey 
confessed.     "  He  sits  there  like  a  lay  figure  of  cour- 


244  JACOB'S  LADDER 

tesy  and  kindliness.  To  listen  to  him,  one  would  be- 
lieve that  he  would  rather  die  than  have  a  guest  ill- 
used." 

Their  host  himself,  accompanied  by  his  son,  came 
suddenly  out  of  the  breakfast  room.  For  the  first 
time,  the  former  appeared  discomposed.  He  came  at 
once  to  Jacob  and  addressed  him  without  preamble. 

"  Mr.  Pratt,"  he  said,  "  I  have  only  this  moment 
properly  understood  the  very  disgraceful  and  un- 
worthy attempt  on  the  part  of  my  two  other  guests  to 
carry  out  a  scheme  of  private  vengeance  upon  you 
whilst  subject  to  the  incarceration  necessitated  by 
my  plans." 

"  You  are  referring,"  Jacob  observed  coldly,  "  to 
the  affair  of  the  Glasgow  Daisy?  " 

"  I  beg,  sir,"  the  Marquis  continued,  "  that  you  will 
acquit  me  of  all  complicity  in  that  most  unwarrant- 
able and  improper  attempt  to  inflict  punishment  upon 
you.  For  your  incarceration  I  accept  the  responsi- 
bility. That  v^u  were  kept  short  of  food  was  a 
natural  adjunct  to  our  enterprise.  The  other  branch 
of  the  affair,  however,  humiliates  me.  I  regret  it  ex- 
tremely.    I  tender  to  you,  Mr.  Pratt,  my  apologies." 

Jacob  bowed. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear,"  he  said,  "  that  you  were 
not  a  party  to  the  most  brutal  portion  of  the  plot. 
At  the  same  time,  to  be  quite  frank  with  you.  Marquis, 
I  should  have  expected  from  you  some  expression  of 
regret  for  your  rather  serious  breach  of  hospitality. 


JACOB'S  LADDER  245 

It  is  surely  not  a  slight  thing  to  starve  and  imprison 
an  invited  guest  with  the  view  of  extorting  monej 
from  him." 

Tlie  Marquis  smiled  tolerantly. 

"  The  matter  presents  itself  to  you,  naturally,  Mr. 
Pratt,  in  a  distorted  light,"  he  observed.  "  I  am 
quite  sure  that  if  I  had  been  brought  up  in  your  en- 
vironment, your  point  of  view  would  be  mine.  You 
must  remember,  however,  that  we  are  now  upon  the 
soil  where  my  forefathers  for  many  generations  kept 
together  a  great  army  of  dependents  by  exacting 
tribute  from  those  more  richly  endowed  with  this 
world's  goods.  If  you  will  look  closely  around  you, 
Mr.  Pratt,  3'ou  will  see  that  even  the  Castle,  which 
has  been  the  property  of  mj^  family  for  seven  hun- 
dred years,  is  sadly  in  need  of  repair.  We  lack  too 
many  modern  conveniences.  My  garden  wall  needs 
fresh  buttresses,  an  engine  house  is  necessary  to 
pump  water  from  the  well  —  in  short,  the  estate  needs 
money.  Not  having  it,  I  can  only  adopt  the  general 
principle  which  is  common  to  all  mankind.  I  en- 
deavour to  procure  it  from  others." 

"  The  prisons  of  England,"  Dauncey  remarked, 
"  are  filled  with  temporary  visitors  who  have  imbibed 
the  same  ideas." 

The  Marquis  gazed  at  Dauncey  as  though  con- 
fronted by  some  new  sort  of  natural  curiosity  to 
whose  appearance  in  the  world  he  was  inclined  to  ex- 
tend a  mild  but  unenthusiastic  welcome. 


246  JACOB'S   LADDER 

"  You  have  more  apprehension  than  your  friend, 
I  am  sure,  Mr.  Pratt,"  he  said.  "  If  you  will  excuse 
me,  I  will  see  that  the  arrangements  for  your  depar- 
ture are  in  progress.".  .  . 

It  seemed  to  Jacob  that  Lady  Mary  was  keeping 
purposely  out  of  his  way.  At  a  few  minutes  before 
the  time  for  their  departure,  she  appeared,  however, 
and  drew  him  to  one  side  down  one  of  the  garden 
walks. 

"  Mr.  Pratt,"  she  said,  "  I  don't  know  what  you  're 
thinking  of  all  of  us." 

"  I  know  what  I  'm  thinking  about  one  of  you,  at 
any  rate,"  he  declared  gratefully.  "  I  should  have 
been  most  unhappy  if  I  had  been  compelled  to  leave 
without  thanking  you  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart 
for  your  kindness." 

"  I  am  more  thankful  than  I  can  tell  you  that  I 
was  able  to  do  what  I  did,"  she  assured  him  earnestly, 
"  and  I  want  you,  if  you  can,  to  set  that  as  much  as 
possible  against  my  father's  shocking  breach  of  the 
laws  of  hospitality.  Only  he  can't  help  it,  poor  man. 
He  has  a  whimsical  attitude  towards  life  which  seems 
unchangeable." 

"  I  shall  forget  it,"  Jacob  promised.  "  Thanks 
to  you,  nothing  serious  occurred." 

"  There  is  one  thing  more,"  she  went  on.  "  Be- 
lieve me,  I  am  not  approaching  this  in  the  same  spirit 
as  my  father,  but  if  by  any  chance  you  found  your- 
self able  to  do  anything  for  Jack  —  in  the  shape  of 


JACOB'S  LADDER  247 

employment,  I  mean  —  it  would  be  so  good  for  him 
and  such  a  relief  to  me." 

"  I  shall  be  going  to  America  very  shortly,"  Jacob 
reflected,  "  in  which  case  I  shall  need  some  one  to  help 
me  with  my  correspondence.  Dauncey  wUl  have  to 
stay  at  home  to  look  after  my  interests  here." 

"  That  would  be  wonderful,"  she  declared  enthusi- 
astically. "  Jack  really  is  n't  a  fool  —  in  fact  he  is 
quite  clever  in  some  things  —  but  he  does  need  steady- 
ing down,  and  I  'm  so  afraid  that  if  nothing  happens 
he  will  drift  into  taking  life  as  casually  as  —  as  —  " 

"  I  understand,"  Jacob  interrupted.  "  Leave  it  to 
me,  Lady  Mar3\     Something  shall  be  done,  I  promise 


vou." 


The  motor  horn  was  sounding  and  they  turned 
back.  Jacob,  notwithstanding  the  disgraceful  treat- 
ment which  he  had  received,  was  conscious  of  a  curi- 
ous unwillingness  to  take  his  place  in  the  car  and  leave 
Kelsoton  Castle  behind  him. 

"  You  must  let  me  know,"  his  companion  begged 
softly,  "  how  things  go  on  with  you  and  Miss  Bulti- 
well." 

"  There  will  never  be  anything  to  tell  you,"  he  as- 
sured her.  "  I  am  becoming  quite  confident  about 
that." 

She  smiled  at  him  enigmatically.  Her  footsteps, 
too,  were  lagging. 

"  Our  love  affairs  don't  seem  to  be  prospering,  do 
they  ?  "  she  sighed. 


248  JACOB'S   LADDER 

Jacob  leaned  a  little  towards  her. 

"  I  should  be  almost  content,"  — 

Dauncey  interrupted  them  a  little  ruthlessly.  He 
held  his  Avatch  in  his  hand. 

"  This  is  the  only  train  to-day,  Jacob,"  he  broke 
in,  "  and  Lord  Felixstowe  says  that  we  shall  barely 
catch  it." 

Jacob  climbed  into  the  car.  The  Marquis  bade 
them  all  a  punctilious  and  courteous  farewell.  Lady 
Mary  waved  her  hand  and  swung  away  down  the  little 
path  that  led  to  the  sea.  When  Jacob  looked  back, 
there  was  no  one  standing  upon  the  Castle  steps  but 
the  Marquis,  bland,  courteous,  a  very  striking  and 
distinguished  figure.  So  ended  Jacob's  visit,  momen- 
tous in  more  ways  than  one. 


CHAPTER    XXIII 

With  a  sigh  of  relief,  Jacob  handed  his  driver  to 
the  caddy  and  watched  the  career  of  a  truly  hit  ball 
down  the  smooth  fairway.  There  was  a  little  mur- 
mur of  applause  from  a  hundred  or  so  of  onlookers. 
By  that  stroke,  Jacob  had  opened  the  Cropstone 
Wood  Golf  Links. 

"  Pretty  certain  where  your  name  will  come  on  the 
handicap  list,  Mr.  Pratt,"  his  opponent  observed, 
after  his  own  somewhat  inferior  effort. 

"  If  I  can  qualify  for  scratch,"  Jacob  replied,  as 
they  marched  off  together,  first  of  twenty-three 
couples  of  prize-competing  Cropstone  Woodites, 
"  one  of  the  ambitions  of  my  life  will  be  gratified." 

What  really  were  his  ambitions,  Jacob  wondered, 
in  the  pretty  little  luncheon  room  at  the  club  an  hour 
or  so  later,  as  he  resumed  his  seat  amidst  a  storm  of 
applause,  having  renounced  to  the  next  successful 
competitor  the  cup  which  he  had  himself  presented 
and  won.  Upon  the  handicap  sheet  the  magic 
letter  "  Scr."  had  already  been  emblazoned  oppo- 
site to  his  name,  as  the  result  of  a  very  sound  sev- 


250  JACOB'S  LADDER 

enty-nine  on  an  eighty  bogey  course.  Tliere  was 
scarcely  one  of  his  investments  which  was  not  pros- 
pering. His  health  was  perfect.  There  were  many 
people  leaning  upon  him,  and  not  in  vain,  for  hap- 
piness. He  had  been  obliged  to  put  a  limit  on  the 
premium  which  might  be  paid  for  houses  on  the  Crop- 
stone  Wood  Estate,  and  even  then,  notwithstanding 
his  unwonted  liberality  in  the  matter  of  a  tennis  club, 
golf  course  and  swimming  bath,  the  investment  in- 
troduced to  him  in  so  unpropitious  a  manner  was  a 
thoroughly  remunerative  one.  He  had  won  four  first 
prizes  at  the  Temple  Flower  Show.  His  bungalow 
at  Marlingden  was  the  admiration  of  all  the  neigh- 
bourhood, his  flat  at  the  Milan  Court  the  last  word  in 
luxury  and  elegance.     And  yet  there  was  a  void. 

He  looked  out  of  the  windows  of  the  clubhouse  at 
the  cottage  where  Sybil  Bultiwell  and  her  mother 
had  first  taken  up  their  abode,  and  his  thoughts 
wandered  away  from  the  uproarious  little  scene  over 
wliich  he  was  presiding.  Called  to  himself  by  the 
necessity  of  acknowledging  a  universal  desire  to  drink 
his  health,  he  looked  around  the  table  and  realised 
what  it  was  that  he  lacked.  There  were  a  dozen  wo- 
men present,  comely  enough,  but  only  in  one  or  two 
cases  more  than  ordinarily  good-looking;  they  were 
there  because  they  were  the  helpmates  of  the  men 
who  brought  them,  sharers  in  their  daily  struggle, 
impressed  with  the  life  duty  of  sympathy,  house- 
proud a  little,  perhaps,  and  with  some  of  the  venial 


JACOB'S  LADDER  251 

faults  of  a  small  community,  but  —  their  husbands' 
companions,  the  "  alter  ego  "  of  the  man  whose  na- 
ture demands  the  leaven  of  sentiment  as  the  flowers 
need  their  morning  bath  of  dew.  And  Jacob  still 
lived  and  was  alone.  On  his  right  sat  the  proud  and 
buxom  mother  of  the  captain  of  the  club,  a  young 
bank  clerk;  on  his  left,  the  wife  of  the  secretary,  a 
lady  who  persisted  in  remaining  good-looking  al- 
though she  had  eight  children  and  but  a  single 
nursemaid. 

"  And  only  one  word  more,"  the  secretary  con- 
cluded, crumpling  up  the  typewritten  slips  in  his  hand, 
wiping  the  perspiration  from  his  forehead,  and  trying 
to  convey  the  impression  that  the  whole  of  what  had 
gone  before  had  come  from  his  lips  as  spontaneously 
as  these  last  few  words.  "I  ask  you,  ladies  and 
gentlemen,  to  drink  the  health  of  our  president  and 
generous  benefactor,  Mr.  Jacob  Pratt,  and  when  we 
all  meet  again  next  year,  as  a  married  man  I  have 
only  one  wish  to  add  to  those  which  we  have  already 
expressed,  and  that  is  that  there  may  be  a  Mrs. 
Jacob  Pratt  to  share  in  his  pleasures,  his  triumphs, 
and,  if  by  any  evil  chance  he  should  ever  have  any, 
his  sorrows." 

There  were  rounds  of  applause.  Every  one  stood 
up  and  held  out  their  glasses  towards  him,  and  Jacob 
was  forced  back  again  into  this  very  real  world  of 
men  and  women  made  comfortable  in  their  daily  lives 
by  his   efforts.     Ke   said  his   few  words   of  thanks 


252  JACOB'S  LADDER 

simply  but  gracefully  and,  in  accordance  with  the 
programme  of  the  day,  they  trooped  out  afterwards 
to  the  lawn  in  front  of  the  freshly  plastered  clubhouse 
and  drank  their  coffee  at  small  round  tables,  looking 
down  the  course,  discussing  the  various  holes,  and 
making  matches  for  the  next  Saturday  afternoon  and 
Sunday.  A  girl  at  the  adjoining  table  leaned  over 
and  asked  him  a  question. 

"  Do  you  know  what  has  become  of  the  Bultiwells, 
Mr.  Pratt?  "  she  enquired. 

"  Mrs.  Bultiwell,  I  believe,  went  to  stay  with  some 
relatives  in  Devonshire,"  he  replied.  "  The  last  I 
heard  of  Miss  Bultiwell  was  that  she  had  taken  a 
position  as  governess  somewhere  near  Belgrave 
Square." 

"  A  governess  !  "  his  questioner  repeated.  "  Fancy 
her  not  being  married !  Don't  you  think  she 's  aw- 
fully pretty,  Mr.  Pratt.?  " 

"  I  do,"  Jacob  agreed. 

"  And  so  good  at  tennis,  too,"  the  girl  continued. 
"  I  wish  she  'd  come  back." 

"  Quite  a  tragical  story,  her  father's  death,"  a 
man  at  the  same  table  observed.  "  I  don't  know 
whether  you  ever  heard  about  it,  Mr.  Pratt.  He  was 
a  leather  merchant  in  a  very  large  way  in  the  city, 
but  got  into  difficulties  somehow.  His  one  hope  was 
that  a  friend  who  had  a  lot  of  money  would  come  into 
partnership  with  him.  It  seems  that  the  friend  not 
only  refused  to  do  so  when  the  moment  came,  but  was 


JACOB'S   LADDER  253 

rather  rough  on  poor  old  Bultiwell  about  the  way  he 
had  been  conducting  his  business  —  so  much  so  that 
he  blew  out  his  brains  in  the  office,  an  hour  or  so  after 
their  interview." 

"  How  brutal  of  the  friend !  "  the  girl  observed. 
"  He  might  have  let  him  down  gently.  You  would  n't 
do  a  thing  like  that,  would  you,  Mr.  Pratt?  " 

Jacob  opened  his  lips  to  tell  the  truth,  but  closed 
them  again.  After  all,  why  should  he  say  a  single 
word  to  mar  the  pervading  impression  of  good-heart- 
edness  and  happiness?  The  man  was  so  anxious  to 
improve  his  acquaintance  with  Jacob;  the  girl,  who 
had  moved  her  chair  as  though  unconsciously  a  little 
closer  to  his,  even  more  so.  He  met  the  smiling 
question  in  her  eyes  a  little  gravely  but  with  no  lack 
of  friendliness. 

"  One  never  knows  quite  what  one  would  do  under 
certain  circumstances,"  he  said.  "  If  Mr.  Bultiwell, 
for  instance,  had  tried  to  deceive  his  friend  and  had 
been  found  out,  I  imagine  it  is  only  fair  that  he  should 
have  heard  the  truth." 

"  He  must  have  been  told  it  in  a  cruel  way,  though, 
or  he  would  never  have  committed  suicide,"  the  girl 
persisted.  "  I  am  quite  sure  that  you  could  n't  do 
anything  in  a  cruel  way,  Mr.  Pratt." 

"  I  am  going  to  be  cruel  to  myself,  at  any  rate,'* 
Jacob  replied,  "  and  go  over  and  start  those  four- 


somes." 


Jacob  rose  to  his  feet.     The  girl's  look  of  disap- 


254  JACOB'S  LADDER 

pointment  was  so  ingenuous  that  he  turned  back  to 
her. 

"  Won't  you  come  with  me,  Miss  Haslem?  "  he  in- 
vited. 

She  sprang  up  and  walked  gladly  by  his  side,  chat- 
tering away  as  they  stood  on  a  slight  eminence  over- 
looking the  first  tee,  using  all  the  simple  and  justifi- 
able weapons  in  her  little  armoury  of  charms  to  win  a 
smile  and  a  little  notice,  perhaps  even  a  later  thought 
from  the  great  man  of  the  day  whose  wealth  alone 
made  him  seem  almost  like  a  hero  of  romance.  She 
was  a  pleasant-faced  girl,  with  clear  brown  eyes  and 
masses  of  hair  brushed  back  from  her  forehead  and 
left  unhandicapped  by  any  headgear  to  dazzle  the 
eye  of  the  beholder.  Her  blouse  was  cut  a  little  low, 
but  the  writer  of  the  young  ladies'  journal,  who  had 
sent  her  the  pattern,  had  assured  her  that  it  was  no 
lower  than  fashion  permitted.  Her  white  skirt  was 
a  little  short,  and  her  stockings  were  very  nearly  silk. 
She  was  twenty-two  years  old,  fairly  modest,  moder- 
ately truthful,  respectably  brought  up,  but  she  was 
the  eldest  of  four,  and  she  would  have  fallen  at  Jacob's 
feet  and  kissed  the  ground  beneath  them  for  a  sign 
of  his  favour.  Jacob,  with  the  echoes  of  that  tragic 
story  still  in  his  ears,  wondered,  as  he  stood  with 
his  hands  behind  his  back,  whether  in  those  few  min- 
utes, when  he  had  taken  his  meed  of  revenge,  he  had 
indeed  raised  up  a  ghost  which  was  to  follow  him 
through   life.     More   than   anything   in   the  world, 


JACOB'S  LADDER  255 

what  he  wanted  besides  the  good-fellowship  of  other 
men  was  the  love  and  companionship  of  a  wife.  Was 
his  to  be  the  dream  of  Tantalus?  Here,  young 
womanliood  of  his  own  class,  eager,  sufficiently 
comely,  stood  striving  to  weave  the  spell  of  her  sex 
upon  him,  with  a  lack  of  success  which  was  almost 
pitiable.  It  was  the  selective  instinct  with  which  he 
was  cursed.  Something  had  even  gone  from  the  sad 
pleasure  with  which  he  used  to  be  able  to  conjure  up 
pictures  of  Sybil.  It  was  almost  as  though  the 
thought  of  her  had  ceased  to  attract  him,  and  with  the 
passing  of  the  spell  which  she  had  laid  upon  him  had 
come  a  passion  as  strong  as  ever  for  her  sex,  coupled 
with  hopeless  and  glacial  indifference  to  its  human  in- 
terpretesses.  The  girl  began  to  feel  the  strain  of  a 
monosyllabic  listener,  but  she  had  the  courage  of  a 
heroine.  She  clutched  her  companion's  arm  as  her 
father  topped  his  drive  from  the  first  tee.  As  though 
by  accident,  her  fingers  remained  on  Jacob's  coat 
sleeve. 

"  Poor  dad !  "  she  sighed.  "  Did  you  see  him  miss 
his  drive?  He'll  be  so  disappointed.  He  used  to 
play  quite  well,  but  that  wretched  City  —  he  does  n't 
seem  to  be  able  to  shake  it  off,  nowadays.  I  wonder 
why  it 's  so  difficult,  Mr.  Pratt,"  she  added,  raising 
her  eyes  artlessly  to  his,  "  for  some  people  to  make 
money  ?  " 

"  We  have  n't  all  the  same  luck,"  Jacob  observed. 

"  Dad  rushes  home  on   Saturdays  so  tired,"  she 


256  JACOB'S  LADDER 

went  on,  **  and  then  wonders  why  he  plays  golf  so 
badly,  wonders  why  mother  is  n't  always  cheerful, 
and  why  we  girls  can't  dress  on  twopence  a  week. 
Why,  stockings  alone,"  —  she  lifted  her  foot  from  the 
ground,  gazed  pensively  at  it  for  a  moment  and  then 
suddenly  returned  it.  Her  ankle  was  certainly 
shapely,  and  the  brevity  of  her  skirts  and  a  slight 
breeze  permitted  a  just  appreciation  of  a  good  many 
inches  of  mysterious  white  hose.  "  But  of  course 
you  don't  know  anything  about  the  price  of  women's 
clothes,"  she  broke  in  with  a  laugh.  "  I  hope  you 
don't  mind  my  hair  looking  a  perfect  mop.  I  never 
can  keep  it  tidy  out  of  doors,  and  I  hate  a  hat." 

Jacob  patiently  did  his  best. 

*'  I  like  to  see  girls  without  their  hats  when  they 
have  hair  as  pretty  as  yours,"  he  assured  her,  "  and 
some  day  or  other  you  must  play  me  a  round  of  golf 
for  a  dozen  pairs  of  stockings." 

"  Would  n't  I  just  love  to !  "  she  exclaimed  with 
joy.  "Now  or  any  other  old  time!  I  warn  you 
that  I  should  cheat,  though.  The  vision  of  a  dozen 
pairs  of  stockings  melting  into  thin  air  because  of 
3^our  wonderful  play  would  be  too  harrowing.  — 
What  on  earth  is  that?  " 

Jacob,  too,  was  listening  with  an  air  of  suddenly 
awakened  interest.  Up  the  hill  came  a  black  speck, 
emitting  from  behind  a  cloud  of  smoke  and  punctuat- 
ing its  progress  with  the  customary  series  of  ex- 
plosions. 


JACOB'S  LADDER  257 

"  I  do  wish  I  had  a  two-seater,"  the  girl  sighed. 

"  I  rather  believe  it 's  soTne  one  for  me,"  Jacob  said, 
stepping  eagerly  foi^ward. 

The  girl  remained  by  his  side.  Felix  brought  the 
car  to  the  side  of  the  road  which  wound  its  way  across 
the  common,  shook  the  dust  from  his  clothes  and 
waved  his  hand  joyously  to  Jacob. 

"  Forty-seven  minutes,  my  revered  chief !  "  he  ex- 
claimed, as  he  approached,  waving  a  missive  in  his 
hand.  "  See  what  it  is  to  have  some  one  amongst 
your  bodyguard  who  can  perform  miracles  !  " 

"  What  have  you  brought?  "  Jacob  asked. 

"  A  cable !  Dauncey  thought  I  had  better  bring 
it  down." 

Jacob  read  it,  and  read  it  over  again.  It  was  a 
dispatch  from  New  York,  handed  in  that  morning: 

Regret  to  say  your  brother  seriously  ill.  Should 
be  deeply  grateful  if  you  would  expedite  your  pro- 
posed visit.  Am  urgently  in  need  of  advice  and  help. 
Please  come  Saturday's  steamer  if  possible. 

Sydney  Morse,  Secretary. 

Jacob  folded  up  the  dispatch  and  placed  it  in  his 
breast  pocket.  Then  he  suddenly  remembered  the 
girl. 

"  Felix,"  he  said,  "  let  me  present  you  to  Miss  Has- 
lem.     Lord  Felixstowe  —  Miss  Haslem." 

The  two  young  people  exchanged  the  customary 
greetings.     The  girl  began  to  apologise  for  her  hair. 


258  JACOB'S  LADDER 

Her  cup  of  happiness  was  very  nearly  filled.     And 
then  Jacob  dashed  it  to  the  ground. 

"  I  want  you  to  take  me  back  to  town  as  soon  as 
you  've  had  a  drink,"  he  intervened,  addressing  the 
young  man.     "  We  sail  for  America  to-morrow." 


CHAPTER    XXIV 

Felixstowe  carefull}'^  concluded  the  enfolding  of 
Jacob's  outstretched  form  in  an  enormous  rug,  placed 
a  tumbler  of  soda  water  and  some  dry  biscuits  within 
easy  reach  of  him,  and  stepped  back  to  inspect  his 
handiwork. 

"  A  bit  drawn  about  the  gills,  old  top,"  he  re- 
marked sympathetically.  "  How  are  you  feeling 
now?  " 

"  Better,"  Jacob  murmured  weakly.  "  And  kindly 
remember  that  I  am  your  employer,  and  don't  call  me 
*  old  top.'  " 

"  Sorry,"  was  the  cheerful  reply.  "  One  has  to 
drop  into  this  sort  of  thing  by  degrees.  I  've  a  kind 
of  naturally  affectionate  disposition,  you  know,  when 
I  'm  with  a  pal." 

"  Get  your  typewriter  and  practise,"  Jacob  di- 
rected.    "  I  '11  try  and  give  you  a  letter." 

"  So  to  the  daily  toil,"  the  young  man  chanted,  as 
he  turned  away.  "  I  've  got  the  little  beauty  in  the 
saloon." 

Jacob  groaned  and  closed  liis  eyes,  for  the  motion 


260  JACOB'S  LADDER 

of  the  steamer,  two  days  out  of  Liverpool  for  New 
York,  still  awoke  revolutionary  symptoms  in  his  in- 
terior. Presently  Felixstowe  returned,  carrying  a 
small  typewriter.  He  arranged  himself  in  the  ad- 
joining chair,  drew  up  his  knees,  took  out  the  type- 
writer from  its  case,  and,  with  his  pipe  in  the  corner 
of  his  mouth,  sat  waiting.  / 

"  Ready,"  he  announced. 

"  Oh,  damn !  "  Jacob  groaned.  "  Write  a  letter 
to  yourself." 

"  I  '11  write  a  line  to  you,"  the  young  man  sug- 
gested soothingly. 

He  attacked  his  task  very  much  as  a  child  trying 
to  spell  out  "  The  Bluebells  of  Scotland  "  on  a  piano 
with  one  finger.  In  a  few  minutes,  with  an  air  of 
pride,  he  drew  out  the  sheet  and  passed  it  to  his 
companion.  Jacob  stretched  out  a  feeble  hand  and 
read  listlessly. 

Dear  Mr.  Pratt, 

I  beheve  that  a  couple  of  dry  Martini  cocktails 
would  do  us  both  good. 

Faithfully  yours, 

Felixstowe. 
Sec.     (Very  sec!) 

A  weak  smile  parted  Jacob's  lips  and  he  grunted 
assent.  Felixstowe  exchanged  cabalistic  signs  with 
the  deck  steward,  and  in  due  course  the  latter  ap- 
peared with  a  couple  of  glasses  filled  with  frosted 


JACOB'S  LADDER  261 

amber  liquid.  Jacob  hesitated  for  a  moment  doubt- 
fuUy. 

"  Try  mental  suggestion,"  the  young  man  advised, 
looking  lovingly  at  his  glass.  "  Put  it  where  the  cat 
can't  get  it  and  say  to  yourself,  *  This  is  going  to  do 
me  good.'     Cheerio  !  " 

Two  empty  glasses  were  replaced  upon  the  tray. 
Jacob  raised  himself  a  little  in  his  chair. 

"  I  believe  I  feel  better  already,"  he  announced. 

"  Won't  know  yourself  in  an  hour's  time,"  his  com- 
panion assured  him.  "  I  shall  give  you  a  pint  of 
champagne  and  a  sandwich  at  twelve  o'clock,  and 
you  '11  be  taking  me  on  at  shuffleboard  after  lunch. 
Hullo,  another  wireless  !  " 

"  Read  it  for  me,"  Jacob  directed. 

The  young  man  tore  open  the  envelope  and  read 
out  the  message : 

Brother's  condition  unchanged.  Your  presence 
urgently  needed.  Will  meet  New  York.  Morse, 
Secretary. 

"  Poor  old  Sam !  "  Jacob  murmured. 

"  He  '11  puU  through,  if  he  's  got  your  constitu- 
tion," Felixstowe  observed  cheerfully.  "  I  've  never 
seen  you  under  the  weather  yet." 

"  That 's  because  I  take  care  of  myself,"  Jacob 
said  a  little  severely. 

"  Great  Caesar's  ghost !     Hi !  " 

The  young  secretary  was  sitting  bolt  upright  in 


262  JACOB'S  LADDER 

his  chair.  A  man  and  a  woman,  passing  along  the 
deck,  turned  in  surprise  at  the  challenge.  The  sur- 
prise speedily  became  amazement,  and  the  amazement 
universal. 

"  Sybil  Bultiwell !  "  Jacob  gasped,  forgetting  all 
about  his  seasickness. 

"  Maurice  Penhaven ! "  Felixstowe  exclaimed. 
"  What  in  the  name  of  thunder  are  you  two  doing 
here  together?  " 

Sybil,  being  a  woman,  was  the  first  to  recover  her- 
self.    She  laughed  softly. 

"  We  do  seem  to  come  across  one  another  in 
strange  places  and  under  strange  conditions,  don't 
we?  "  she  said  to  Jacob.  "  This,  perhaps,  is  the 
strangest  of  all.     I  am  on  my  honeymoon." 

"  Married?  "  Jacob  gasped,  throwing  off  his  rugs 
and  sitting  upright.  "  But  I  was  going  to  —  you 
were  —  oh,  damn !  " 

She  made  a  little  grimace  and  drew  him  to  one  side. 

"  I  can  guess  what  is  in  your  mind,  Mr.  Pratt,"  she 
said,  "  and  I  want  to  have  a  perfectly  clear  under- 
standing with  you.  Tell  me  now,  did  I  ever  give  you 
the  slightest  encouragement?  Did  I  ever  give  you 
the  faintest  reason  to  hope  that  I  should  ever,  under 
any  circumstances,  be  willing  to  marry  you?  " 

"  I  can't  say  that  you  did,"  Jacob  admitted  sadly, 
gripping  at  the  rail  against  which  they  were  standing. 
"  I  never  left  off  hoping,  though." 

"  Now  that  I  have  become  unexpectedly  a   very 


JACOB'S  LADDER  253 

happy  woman,"  Sybil  went  on,  with  a  new  softness  in 
her  tone,  "  I  will  confess  that  I  was  perhaps  unrea- 
sonable so  far  as  regards  your  treatment  of  my 
father." 

"  Thank  God  for  that,  anyhow !  "  Jacob  muttered. 

"  Tliere  were  times,"  Sybil  went  on  reflectively, 
"  when  I  very  nearly  admired  you." 

"  For  example  ?  " 

"  When  you  opened  the  door  of  the  house  in  Rus- 
sell Square  for  me  and  calmly  took  back  your  notes 
which  I  had  been  to  fetch.  That  was  one  time,  at 
any  rate.  But  I  never  had  the  slightest  feeling  of 
affection  for  3'ou,  or  the  slightest  intention  of  marry- 
ing you,  however  long  you  waited.  Now  I  am  going 
to  tell  you  something  else,  if  I  may." 

"  Go  on,  please,"  Jacob  begged,  in  a  melancholy 
tone. 

"  I  do  not  think  that  you  have  ever  been  really  in 
love  with  me.  Yoa  are  rather  a  sentimental  person, 
and  you  were  in  love  with  a  girl  in  a  white  gown  who 
walked  with  you  in  a  rose  garden  one  wonderful  even- 
ing, and  was  very  kind  to  you  simply  to  atone  for 
other  people's  rudeness.  It  was  n't  you  I  was  being 
kind  to  at  all.  It  was  simply  a  sensitive  guest  who 
had  been  a  little  hurt." 

"  I  see,"  he  sighed. 

"  I  had  no  idea,"  she  went  on  reflectively,  "  that 
you  were  likely  to  misunderstand.  It  was  one  of  my 
father's  weaknesses  that  he  sometimes  forgot  himself 


264  JACOB'S  LADDER 

and  did  not  sufficiently  consider  people's  feelings. 
He  was  rude  to  you  that  night,  and  I  was  ashamed 
and  did  my  best  to  atone.  I  had  no  idea  that  3'ou 
were  going  to  take  it  all  so  seriously.  But  I  want 
you,  Mr.  Pratt,"  she  went  on  earnestly,  "  to  remember 
this.  It  was  no  real  person  with  whom  you  walked  in 
the  garden  that  night.  It  was  no  real  person  the 
recollection  of  whom  you  have  chosen  to  keep  in  your 
heart  all  this  time,  and  with  whom  you  have  fancied 
yourself  in  love.  It  was  just  a  creature  of  your 
own  fancy.  You  are  such  a  kind-hearted  person 
really,  and  you  ought  to  be  happy.  Can't  you  un- 
twine all  those  sentimental  fancies  of  yours  and  find 
some  really  nice,  human  girl  with  whom  to  bedeck 
them?  There  are  so  many  women  in  the  world, 
Jacob  Pratt,  who  would  like  to  have  you  for  a  hus- 
band, apart  from  your  money." 

"  If  it  were  n't  for  the  money  —  "  Jacob  began 
sadly. 

She  interrupted  him  with  a  little  peal  of  laughter. 

"  Faithless !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  I  can  see  that  you 
have  some  one  in  your  mind  already.  Don't  think 
too  much  about  your  wealth.  I  am  a  very  ordinary 
sort  of  girl,  you  know,  and  it  did  n't  make  any  differ- 
ence to  me.  Maurice  has  n't  as  many  hundreds  a 
year  as  you  have  thousands,  but  I  am  quite  content. 
Your  money  may  make  marriage  more  possible  with 
a  girl  who  has  been  extravagantly  brought  up,  but 
that  need  n't  prevent  her  really  caring  for  you.      So 


JACOB'S  LADDER  265 

please  cheer  up,  Mr.  Jacob  Pratt,  and  let  us  all  be 
friends." 

The}^  turned  back  towards  the  others.  The  ex- 
planation between  Lord  Felixstowe  and  his  sister's 
quondam  fiance  had  been  delayed  by  the  intervention 
of  the  Captain,  who  had  paused  on  his  daily  prom- 
enade to  say  a  few  words.  Felixstowe  was  just  then, 
however,  undertaking  his  obvious  duty. 

"  Seems  to  me,  young  fellow,"  he  said,  addressing 
Penhaven,  "  that  a  few  words  of  explanation  are  due 
between  us  two." 

"  You  need  n't  come  the  heavy  brother,"  the  latter 
replied.  "  Your  sister  and  I  broke  our  engagement 
mutually,  some  time  ago.  I  can  assure  you,  and  she 
will  tell  you  the  same,  that  her  feelings  towards  me 
have  changed  far  more  completely  even  than  mine 
towards  her." 

"  Well,  I  'm  jiggered ! "  Lord  Felixstowe  ex- 
claimed. 

"Where  did  you  and  Captain  Penhaven  meet.'*" 
Jacob  asked  miserably. 

"  I  used  to  go  in,  as  you  know,  and  play  Lady 
Mary's  accompaniments,"  Sybil  explained.  "  Cap- 
tain Penhaven  was  often  there  and  used  to  take  me 
home  sometimes.  From  my  own  observation,"  she 
went  on,  "  I  can  confirm  what  Maurice  has  just  said 
about  the  relations  between  Lady  Mary  and  himself. 
For  some  reason  or  other  she  became  absolutely  in- 
different to  him  about  that  time." 


266  JACOB'S   LADDER 

"  So,  according  to  you  two,  nobody  's  got  a  griev- 
ance," Felixstowe  observed.  "  If  my  new  employ- 
er 's  satisfied  —  well,  I  suppose  that 's  an  end  of  it." 

"  Your  what?  "  Sybil  demanded. 

The  young  man  waved  his  hand  genially  towards 
Jacob. 

"  He  's  taken  me  on  as  secretary,"  he  announced. 
"  First  job,  trip  out  to  America  to  visit  sick  brother 
and  look  after  business  complications.  We  've  dealt 
with  weighty  affairs  already  this  morning." 

"  What 's  become  of  your  Mr.  Dauncey,  then.''  " 
Sybil  enquired. 

"  I  have  made  him  secretary  of  the  Cropstone 
Wood  Estates  Company,"  Jacob  told  her.  "  He 
has  my  affairs  to  look  after  as  well  while  I  am  away." 

A  sound  familiar  to  the  nautical  ears  of  Lord 
Felixstowe  reached  them  from  the  bows  of  the  ship. 

"  Sun 's  over  the  yardarm,"  he  announced. 
"  How  are  you  feeling  now,  old  —  Mr.  Pratt?  " 

"  You  order,"  Jacob  replied. 

It  was  a  moderately  cheerful  little  party  who  drank 
the  health  of  the  bride  and  bridegroom.  Afterwards, 
however,  Jacob  passed  a  day  of  curiously  tangled 
sensations.  The  summons  to  New  York  had  been  too 
peremptory  for  him  to  delay  even  an  hour,  but  he 
had  sent  a  note  to  Miss  Bultiwell  at  the  address  in 
Belgrave  Square,  asking  for  a  few  minutes'  interview 
before  he  left.  Naturally  he  had  received  no  answer. 
Now  he  was  face  to  face  with  absolute  and  accom- 


JACOB'S   LADDER  267 

plished  failure  in  one  of  the  fixed  purposes  of  his  life. 
He  was  an  obstinate  person,  used  to  success,  —  so 
used  to  it,  in  fact,  that  the  present  situation  left 
him  dazed.  His  first  determination,  when  success 
had  smiled  upon  him,  had  been  to  marry  Sybil  Bulti- 
well.  He  had  never  flinched  from  that  purpose.  He 
had  even,  in  his  heart,  considered  himself  engaged. 
Any  thoughts  which  might  have  come  to  him  of  any 
other  woman  he  had  pushed  away  as  a  species  of  in- 
fidelity. And  now  there  was  n't  any  Sybil  Bultiwell. 
She  was  married  and  out  of  his  reach.  He  felt  that 
the  proper  thing  for  him  to  do  was  to  go  down  to  his 
cabin  and  nurse  his  broken  heart ;  instead  of  which 
he  drank  champagne  for  dinner,  found  a  few  kindred 
spirits  who  hked  a  mild  game  of  poker,  and  went  to 
bed  whistling  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning.  His 
young  companion,  who  had  won  a  fiver  and  was  in  a 
most  beatific  state,  came  and  sat  on  his  bunk  whilst 
he  undressed. 

"  Jacob,  my  well-beloved,"  he  said,  "  you  are  tak- 
ing this  little  setback  like  a  hero." 

"  What  setback?  "  Jacob  asked. 

"  Little  affair  of  Miss  Bultiwell,"  Felixstowe  re- 
plied, gazing  admiringly  at  Jacob's  well-suspended 
silk  socks.     "  Mary  told  me  all  about  it." 

Jacob  siglied  heavily. 

"  Nasty  knock  for  me,"  he  admitted,  with  a  curi- 
ously unconvincing  note  of  gloom  in  his  tone. 

"  And  Mary,  poor  old  girl,  is  in  the  same  boat 


268  JACOB'S  LADDER 

Felixstowe  went  on  reflectively.  "  Still,  she  never 
cared  much  for  Maurice  .  .  .  led  him  an  awful 
dance,  the  last  few  months.  And  you  were  head  over 
heels  in  love  with  Miss  Bultiwell,  were  n't  you.'*  " 

"  I  adored  her,"  Jacob  declared,  taking  a  long 
gulp  of  the  whisky  and  soda  which  he  had  brought  in 
for  a  nightcap.  "  Worshipped  her,"  he  added,  finish- 
ing it  with  much  satisfaction. 

Felixstowe  sighed  sympathetically. 

"  Rotten  luck  for  you,  having  'em  on  board,  hon- 
eymooning," he  observed.  "  Never  mind,  keep  a  stiff 
upper  lip,  old  thing.  Let  me  know  if  I  can  butt  in 
any  time  on  the  right  side.  You  '11  perhaps  stay  in 
your  stateroom  to-morrow?  " 

"  Not  I !  "  was  the  hastj'  reply.  "  I  shall  face  it 
out." 

"  Hero  !  "  his  companion  murmured.  "  Don't  you 
brood  over  this  thing,  Jacob.  Close  your  eyes  and 
try  and  count  sheep,  or  something  of  that  sort. 
Call  me  in  if  you  get  very  melancholy  during  the 
night,  and  I  '11  read  to  you." 

"  You  need  n't  worry,"  Jacob  assured  him.  "  I 
have  an  iron  will.  And  don't  be  so  long  in  the  bath 
to-morrow  morning." 

"  Tap  three  times  on  the  door,"  the  young  man  en- 
joined, "  and  I  wiU  remember  that  it  is  my  master's 


voice." 


CHAPTER    XXV 

They  steamed  slowly  past  the  Statue  of  Liberty, 
early  in  the  afternoon  a  few  days  later.  Jacob  and 
his  young  companion  were  leaning  over  the  rail, 
watching  the  great,  tangled  city  slowly  define  itself 
through  a  shroud  of  mist. 

"  One  good  thing  about  this  voyage,"  the  latter 
remarked  sympathetically,  "  it 's  taken  your  mind 
off  yourself  —  made  you  forget  3'our  troubles,  in  a 
kind  of  way." 

"  You  mean  about  poor  Sam?  " 

"  I  'm  afraid  I  was  n't  thinking  about  your 
brother,"  Felixstowe  confessed.  "  I  was  thinking  of 
the  other  little  affair.  Of  course,  it 's  been  rather  a 
bad  egg  for  you,  so  to  speak,  having  her  pop  up 
every  minute  or  two,  but  there  's  something  about  life 
on  one  of  these  great  liners  —  I  don't  know  what  it 
is,  but  you  seem  to  be  able  to  shove  all  sorts  of  things 
out  of  your  mind,  eh?  " 

Jacob  felt  for  a  moment  rather  ashamed  of  himself. 
It  was  not  like  him  to  be  inconstant  in  anything,  and 
he  would  not  for  a  moment  admit  that  what  he  had 


270  JACOB'S   LADDER 

regarded  as  the  passion  of  his  Hfe  had  been  merely  a 
fantasy.  At  the  same  time,  he  could  not  ignore  the 
fact  that  during  the  last  few  days  he  had  been  con- 
scious of  a  sense  of  freedom  which  was  altogether 
pleasant. 

"  I  have  conquered  that,"  he  declared  proudly. 
"  For  me  it  is  finished.  You  must  have  observed  my 
indifference  at  dinner  last  night.  I  find  myself  able 
to  converse  with  her  now  without  the  slightest  emo- 
tion." 

"Fine!"  was  the  enthusiastic  rejoinder.  "You 
must  have  a  will  of  iron.  Those  things  do  pull  you 
about  a  bit,  though.  I  remember  an  affair  of  my 
own  with  little  Kitty  Bond  —  second  from  the  left  in 
the  front  row  of  the  Gaiety,  you  know.  For  three 
days  she  was  simply  dropping  sugarplums  down  my 
throat,  never  took  her  eyes  off  me  all  through  the 
show,  welcome  at  any  hour  to  the  flat,  though  mother 
was  in  the  country  visiting  the  parson  uncle  —  all 
the  usual  sort  of  slush,  you  know.  And  then  oile 
day  some  one  told  her  about  dad  and  figured  out  what 
my  income  was  likely  to  be.  Little  Johnny  in  the 
rubber  market  it  was.  I  shall  never  forget  the  night 
Kitty  introduced  me  and  then  went  off  to  supper  with 
him  in  his  coupe.     Fairly  gave  me  the  pip." 

"  I  beg,"  Jacob  said  with  dignity,  "  that  you  will 
not  compare  your  calf  love  for  a  picture-postcard 
young  lady  with  what  might  easily  have  been  a  great 
passion." 


JACOB'S   LADDER  271 

Felixstowe  tapped  a  cigarette  upon  the  rail  and 
lit  it. 

"  It  took  me  more  than  three  days  to  get  over  it, 
at  any  rate,"  he  remarked  pointedly. 

A  grave-looking,  clean-shaven  young  man,  very 
neatly  dressed  and  wearing  thin,  gold-rimmed  spec- 
tacles, met  them  as  they  stepped  off  the  steamer. 

"Mr.  Jacob  Pratt,  I  am  sure?"  he  said.  "My 
name  is  Morse  —  Sydney  H.  Morse.  I  am  your 
brother's  secretary." 

"  How  is  Sam?  "  Jacob  enquired  eagerly. 

"  He  is  in  precisely  the  same  condition  of  coma," 
the  secretary  replied.  "  The  physician  says  that  he 
may  remain  so  for  days." 

"  Shall  I  be  able  to  see  him?  " 

"  Doctor  Bardolf  will  discuss  that  with  you,  Mr. 
Pratt.  In  the  meantime,  one  of  your  brother's  ser- 
vants is  here  to  see  after  all  the  luggage  and  pass  it 
through  the  Customs,  if  you  will  hand  liim  the  list. 
I  have  a  car  here  for  you  and  —  and  —  " 

"  My  secretary,"  Jacob  indicated.  "  Mr.  Sydney 
Morse  —  Lord  Felixstowe." 

Tlie  former,  startled  for  a  moment  out  of  his  grav- 
ity, solemnly  shook  hands. 

"  Glad  to  meet  you.  Lord  Felixstowe,"  he  said  im- 
pressively.    "  Welcome  to  New  York." 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  be  here,"  Felixstowe  observed, 
as  he  returned  the  other's  salute  in  friendly  fashion. 
"  Gay  little  hamlet,  what?  " 


272  JACOB'S   LADDER 

"  It 's  a  city  full  of  interest,  sir,"  the  other  af- 
firmed. 

"  You  'II  have  to  show  me  around.  I  bet  you  know 
the  ropes.  The  pick  of  the  world's  fluif  on  its  home 
soil,  eh?  " 

The  New  Yorker  looked  a  little  staggered  and 
edged  his  way  towards  Jacob. 

"  Here  is  the  car,  Mr.  Pratt,"  he  announced,  open- 
ing the  door  of  a  very  handsome  limousine. 

"  Where  are  you  taking  us  ?  "  Jacob  enquired. 

"  To  your  brother's  house  in  Riverside  Drive." 

"  Would  n't  it  be  more  convenient  for  us  to  go  to 
an  hotel.?  "  Jacob  suggested.  "  With  sickness  in  the 
house,  it  seems  to  me  that  it  would  be  better." 

"  Your  brother  would  never  forgive  me  if  I  al- 
lowed such  a  thing,"  Morse  protested  earnestly. 
"  The  house  is  very  large,  and  there  are  half  a  dozen 
suites  well  out  of  hearing  of  Mr.  Pratt's  rooms. 
Besides,  you  will  be  able  to  see  him  then  at  the  earli- 
est possible  moment." 

"  Just  as  you  say,"  Jacob  assented. 

Their  first  drive  through  New  York  —  up  Fifth 
Avenue  and  along  Riverside  Drive  —  was  far  too  in- 
teresting for  conversation  to  flourish.  The  brown- 
stone  house  which  finally  turned  out  to  be  their 
destination,  and  which  had  once  belonged  to  a  famous 
multimillionaire,  surpassed  all  their  expectations. 
An  English  butler  hurried  forward  at  tlie  sound  of 
Morse's  latchkey.     A  fountain  banked  with  flowers 


JACOB'S   LADDER  273 

was  playing  in  the  middle  of  a  circular  hall.  The 
light  was  toned  and  softened  by  exquisite  stained- 
glass  windows.  Everywhere  was  an  air  of  unbounded 
luxury.  The  adjoining  suites  into  which  Jacob  and 
his  companion  were  ushered  surpassed  an^'thing  they 
had  seen  in  domestic  architecture.  They  had 
scarcely  had  time  to  look  around  before  a  coloured 
servant  in  livery,  with  a  white  linen  coat,  presented 
Scotch  whisky  and  soda,  and  a  silver  pail  of  ice, 
on  a  magnificent  salver. 

"  I  am  going  to  like  this  country,"  Lord  Felixstowe 
declared  with  conviction.     "  Say  when,  Jacob." 

The  secretary,  who  had  left  them  for  a  few  minutes, 
returned  presently  with  a  dignified  personage  whom 
he  introduced  as  the  senior  of  the  physicians  in  at- 
tendance upon  Mr.  Samuel  Pratt. 

"  Doctor  Bardolf  has  attended  your  brother  for 
many  years,"  he  explained. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  meet  you,  sir,"  the  physician 
said,  as  he  shook  hands.  "  I  am  going  to  pull  your 
brother  through  this  trouble,  all  right,  but  you  must 
be  patient." 

"  That 's  good  hearing,"  Jacob  declared  heartily. 

"  He  is  now,"  the  physician  continued,  "in  a  state 
of  coma,  following  upon  brain  fever.  I  'd  like  you 
not  to  be  in  any  hurry  to  visit  him  for  a  day  or  two. 
I  want  him  to  come  to  himself  quite  naturally  and 
not  to  be  brought  round  by  the  shock  of  seeing  any 
one   unexpectedly." 


274  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  I  am  entirely  in  your  hands,"  Jacob  replied. 
"  Now  that  I  am  on  the  spot,  I  feel  much  more  com- 
fortable." 

"  So  do  I,"  Morse  echoed,  with  a  little  sigh  of  re- 
lief. 

"Your  brother  is  not  a  man  with  many  friends, 
Mr.  Pratt,"  the  physician  proceeded,  "  and  in  the 
present  state  of  the  stock  markets  it  has  not  been 
thought  advisable  to  advertise  liis  illness.  I  dare 
say,  therefore,  that  Mr.  Morse  will  be  very  glad  of 
your  advice  and  help  in  many  directions.  I  know,  in 
fact,  that  he  has  been  anxiously  awaiting  it." 

"  I  have  indeed,"  the  young  man  confessed  ear- 
nestly. *' Mr.  Pratt  as  a  rule  enjoys  such  excellent 
health  that  we  have  never  even  contemplated  a  situa- 
tion like  this." 

"  I  shall  be  pleased  to  do  what  I  can,"  Jacob  prom- 
ised, a  little  dubiously.  "  My  brother  and  I  are 
partners,  of  course,  in  the  Pratt  Oil  Combine,  but  I 
know  very  little  of  his  aifairs  outside." 

The  physician  smiled. 

"  Your  brother  has  the  reputation  of  being  extraor- 
dinarily fortunate,"  he  said.  "  That,  however,  is 
outside  my  province.  I  have  only  to  add,  Mr.  Pratt, 
that  the  invalid  has  two  nurses,  the  best  I  could  find 
in  New  York,  in  constant  attendance  upon  him. 
Any  change  in  his  condition  would  bring  me  to  his 
bedside  in  less  than  ten  minutes.  Until  to-morrow, 
I  beg  to  take  my  leave." 


JACOB'S   LADDER  275 

The  physician  hurried  away,  and  a  few  minutes 
later  Morse  also  excused  himself,  on  the  pretext  of  a 
heavy  mail.  Jacob  and  his  j^oung  companion  made 
luxurious  use  of  their  wonderful  bathrooms,  subse- 
quently attiring  themselves  in  the  garments  laid  out 
by  a  ubiquitous  and  efficient  valet,  after  which  Felix- 
stowe set  up  his  typewriter  and  insisted  upon  justi- 
fying his  existence.  Jacob  accordingly  dictated  a 
few  lines  to  Dauncey,  which  his  anxious  secretary 
took  down  with  great  care.  Felixstowe  smudged  his 
fingers  badly  with  the  carbon  copy  and,  after  Jacob 
had  appended  his  signature,  stamped  and  addressed 
the  missive  with  punctilious  attention. 

"  There  is  no  doubt  whatever,"  he  declared,  as  he 
gave  the  letter  over  to  the  care  of  a  specially  sum- 
moned servant  and  threw  himself  into  the  most  com- 
fortable of  the  easy-chairs,  "  that  a  certain  amount 
of  work  does  give  spice  to  the  day's  pleasure." 

"  You  '11  have  to  do  a  great  deal  more  than  that," 
Jacob  warned  him,  "when  the  busy  days  come  along." 

"  And  why  not  ?  "  was  the  grandiloquent  reply. 
*'  WHien  I  get  going,  I  shall  be  able  to  do  a  great  deal 
more  without  fatigue.  Six  o'clock,  old  dear,"  he 
added,  glancing  at  his  watch,  "  and  mark  you,  some- 
thing tells  me  that  before  long  that  genial  blacka- 
moor, with  the  smile  which  seems  to  slit  his  face  in 
two,  will  be  here  with  cocktails.  Footsteps  outside! 
Why,  I  can  hear  the  ice  chinking  in  the  shaker !  " 

Tlie  door  opened  —  to  admit  only  Morse,  however. 


276  JACOB'S  LADDER 

Felixstowe's  face  fell.  The  newcomer  was  attired  in 
dinner  clothes,  which  accorded  fairly  well  with  the 
tenets  of  eastern  civilisation  except  that  his  jacket 
was  unusually  long  and  his  black  tie  of  the  flowing 
description. 

"  Mr.  Pratt  has  an  excellent  chef  here,"  he  an- 
nounced, "  but  I  thought  that  as  you  two  gentlemen 
are  strangers  in  New  York,  you  would  probably  like 
to  sample  one  of  the  best  restaurants.  I  have  or- 
dered dinner  at  the  Waldorf.  It  is  not  so  exclusive 
as  some  of  the  other  places,  but  I  feel  sure  that  you 
will  find  it  amusing." 

"  Is  the  bird's-nesting  good  there.?  "  Felixstowe 
enquired  anxiously. 

"  Bird's-nesting?  I  don't  quite  get  you,"  Morse 
replied,  politely  puzzled. 

"  The  fluff,"  his  questioner  explained,  "  the  skirts, 
—  the  little  ladies  who  help  to  make  the  world  a  cheer- 
ful and  a  joyous  place." 

Mr.  Morse  proved  that  behind  his  severe  expression 
and  depressing  spectacles  he  was  only  human.  He 
smiled. 

"  The  Waldorf  is,  I  believe,  very  largely  patronised 
by  New  York  ladies,"  he  said.  "  I  am  afraid  that 
in  that  respect  I  am  not  a  very  efficient  cicerone.  I 
shall  be  able  to  introduce  you,  however,  to  others 
who  may  be  able  to  atone  for  my  deficiency  in  that 
direction." 

Morse  was  as  good  as  his  word.     He  had  a  plenti- 


JACOB'S  LADDER  277 

fill  acquaintance,  and  the  anxiety  for  news  concern- 
ing Mr.  Samuel  Pratt  brought  visitors  continually  to 
his  table.  His  answer  to  one  was  practically  his  an- 
swer to  all. 

"  Just  fine,"  he  replied  to  an  elderly  stockbroker 
who  questioned  him  rather  closely.  "He  is  just 
now  back  in  the  Adirondacks,  having  the  time  of  his 
life,  I  guess.  Going  to  bring  home  a  great  collection 
of  heads  and  finish  up  with  a  fortnight  at  the 
salmon  —  Why,  yes,  Mr.  Kindacott,"  he  went  on,  a 
little  doubtfully,  "  I  could  get  a  little  note  through, 
if  you  particular!}^  wished  it,  but  you  know  what  Mr. 
Pratt's  orders  were  —  no  business  except  in  a  matter 
of  great  urgency.  I  am  dealing  with  most  every- 
thing from  Riverside  Drive." 

The  stockbroker  passed  on.  Felixstowe  glanced 
at  his  vis-a-vis  with  admiration. 

"  I  should  never  have  guessed  from  the  look  of  you 
that  you  could  teU  'em  like  that,"  he  remarked. 

Morse  smiled  deprecatingl3\ 

"  It  is  not  my  custom,"  he  admitted,  "  to  depart 
from  the  truth,  but  in  a  business  life  out  here  you 
have  to  put  scruples  beliind  30U.  If  they  knew  down 
in  Wall  Street  that  Mr.  Samuel  was  as  ill  as  he  is, 
a  whole  bunch  of  stocks  we  are  interested  in  would 
tumble  down  half  a  dozen  points.  That  is  why  I 
did  n't  introduce  you,  Mr.  Pratt,  as  well  as  Lord 
Felixstowe,"  lie  added,  turning  to  Jacob.  "  If  they 
got  to  know  that  you  were  Mr.   Samuel's  brother, 


278  JACOB'S  LADDER 

over  from  England,  it  would  make  them  kind  of  rest- 
less." 

"  I  quite  understand,"  Jacob  assented.  *'  I  have 
no  desire  to  make  acquaintances  on  this  side  until 
Sam  is  well  enough  to  go  round  with  me." 

The  meal,  a  very  excellent  and  somewhat  prolonged 
one,  came  to  a  conclusion  about  ten  o'clock.  Morse 
glanced  at  his  watch. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  I  am  now  entirely  at  your 
service.  If  you  would  like  to  go  home,  I  admit  that 
it  is  my  usual  custom  to  retire  early.  If,  on  the  other 
hand.  Lord  Felixstowe,  or  even  you,  Mr.  Pratt,  would 
like  to  see  a  little  New  York  night  life,  I  will  do  my 
best." 

"  I  am  for  the  giddy  whirl,"  Felixstowe  declared 
promptly,  "  I  have  eaten  strange  and  delicious  food 
of  an  exhilarating  character.  The  flavour  of  ter- 
rapin is  upon  my  palate.  I  am  imbibing  New  York. 
It  is  getting  into  my  blood." 

"  You  are  also  imbibing  a  considerable  quantity  of 
Pommery,"  Jacob  observed.  "  I  may  have  letters 
for  the  English  mail  at  nine  o'clock  to-morrow  morn- 
ing, remember." 

"  You  will  find  me  waiting  by  your  bedside,"  the 
young  man  promised.  "  To-night  the  magic  of  a 
strange  city  calls." 

"  If  you  will  take  the  car  home,  Mr.  Pratt,"  Morse 
suggested,  "  Lord  Felixstowe  and  I  will  take  a  taxi 
—  that  is  to  say,  unless  you  care  to  join  us." 


JACOB'S  LADDER  279 

Jacob  shook  his  head. 

"  Show  Lord  FeHxstowe  everything  there  is  to 
be  seen,"  he  begged.  "  As  soon  as  my  brother  is  out 
of  danger,  I  '11  have  a  turn  around  myself." 

Towards  three  o'clock,  Jacob,  who  was  reading  in 
bed,  heard  stealthy  footsteps  in  the  next  room.  He 
coughed  and  Felixstowe  at  once  entered. 

"  So  you  Ve  got  back,"  Jacob  remarked,  laying 
down  his  book. 

Felixstowe's  tie  had  escaped  an  inch  or  two  to  the 
right,  his  theatre  hat  was  set  well  on  the  back  of  his 
head,  his  expression  was  beatific. 

"  Jacob,  old  bean,"  he  declared,  sitting  down 
heavily  upon  the  bed,  "  we  've  got  the  knock.  Lon- 
don 's  a  back  number.     We  're  beaten  at  the  post." 

"  In  what  respect?  " 

"  The  lasses  !  "  Felixstowe  exclaimed,  smacking  the 
part  of  the  bed  where  he  imagined  Jacob's  leg  to  be, 
—  "  the  lasses,  the  drink  and  the  gilded  halls !  And 
I  '11  tell  you  another  tiling.  Our  friend  Morse 
can  take  off  his  spectacles  and  go  a  bit.  He 's 
no  stranger  on  the  merry-go-rounds.  .  .  .  Gee! 
Wliat's  that?" 

The  young  man  slipped  from  the  bed  and  crossed 
the  room  to  where,  on  a  very  handsome  little  round 
table,  a  bottle  of  whisky  and  other  appurtenances 
were  attractively  displayed. 

"  The  one  thing  I  needed  to  send  me  to  sleep  like  a 
top  was  a  niglitcap,"  he  declared,  mixing  himself  a 


280  JACOB'S  LADDER 

drink.  "  Jacob,  have  you  any  more  relatives?  Let's 
visit  'em  all." 

"  You  go  to  bed,"  Jacob  insisted.  "  I  'm  going  to 
turn  out  the  light  directly." 

Lord  Felixstowe,  his  glass  in  his  hand,  one-stepped 
lightly  out  of  the  room,  humming  under  his  breath  a 
little  ditty  which  seemed  to  contain  dual  references  to 
a  prospective  sovereignty  of  the  May  and  the  hour 
at  which  he  would  like  his  shaving  water.  Jacob 
turned  over  and  slept  the  sleep  of  the  just. 


CHAPTER    XXVI 

Soon  after  breakfast,  on  the  following  morning, 
Doctor  Bardolf  was  shown  into  Jacob's  sitting  room. 
He  held  his  watch  in  his  hand.  Outside  the  house,  the 
engine  of  his  great  automobile  was  purring  gently. 

"  No  change,  Mr.  Pratt,"  he  announced.  "  All 
the  symptoms,  however,  continue  to  be  decidedly 
favourable." 

"  Capital !  "  Jacob  exclaimed.  "  When  shall  you 
be  here  again?  " 

"  I  am  coming  in  tliis  afternoon,  simply  in  case 
that  slight  alteration  in  my  patient's  condition  should 
have  occurred,  which  will  enable  you  to  visit  him.  I 
rather  gather,  from  certain  indications,  that  the 
change  is  close  at  hand." 

"  Very  considerate  of  you,  I  am  sure.  Doctor," 
Jacob  observed  gratefully. 

"  In  the  meantime,  Mr.  Pratt,"  the  physician  en- 
quired, replacing  his  watch  in  his  waistcoat  pocket, 
"  can  I  be  of  any  service  to  you?  Your  brother  is  a 
personal  friend  of  mine  as  well  as  a  patient,  and  I 
should  like  to  show  you  any  attention  agreeable  to 


282  JACOB'S  LADDER 

you.  Would  you  care,  for  instance,  to  see  over  one 
of  our  big  hospitals?  " 

"  I  'm  not  keen  about  it,"  Jacob  admitted  frankly. 
Doctor  Bardolf  smiled. 

"  Like  your  brother,  Mr.  Jacob,"  he  remarked, 
"  you  're  candid,  I  see.  I  'm  afraid  I  sometimes  let 
my  professional  predilections  run  away  with  me.  I  '11 
send  you  cards,  if  you  will  allow  me,  for  two  clubs 
I  think  you  would  like  to  see  something  of,  and  if 
you  '11  do  me  the  honour  of  dining  with  me  one  night, 
as  soon  as  your  brother's  condition  has  shown  the 
change  we  are  waiting  for,  I  shall  be  honoured." 

"  Very  kind  of  you  —  delighted,"  Jacob  mur- 
mured. 

Whereupon  the  physician  took  his  leave  and  was 
succeeded  within  a  very  few  moments  by  Morse.  The 
latter  bowed  to  Jacob  and  rather  ignored  Felix- 
stowe's frivolous  salutation. 

"  Mr.  Pratt,"  he  begged,  "  can  I  have  a  few  words 
with  you  on  business  ?  " 

"  Certainly,"  Jacob  assented.  "  That 's  what  I  'm 
here  for.     Sit  down,  do." 

The  secretary  accepted  an  easy-chair  but  waved 
away  the  proffered  cigar. 

"  I  guess  you  fully  understand,  sir,"  he  began, 
"  how  important  it  is  to  keep  your  brother's  condi- 
tion absolutely  secret.  The  moment  the  change  that 
the  doctor  is  looking  for  takes  place,  we  shall  give  it 
out  that  he  has  returned  from  the  Adirondacks  with 


( 

JACOB'S  LADDER  283 

a  slight  fever  and  is  compelled  to  rest  for  a  day  or 
two.  Until  then,  we  've  got  to  bluff  for  all  we  are 
worth." 

"  I  am  rather  taking  3'our  word  for  this,"  Jacob 
said.  "  In  my  country,  the  stock  market  is  not  quite 
so  sensitive  as  regards  personalities." 

"  Mighty  good  thing,  too,"  Morse  remarked  ap- 
provingly. "  Down  in  Wall  Street,  some  one  only 
has  to  start  a  rumour  that  the  chairman  of  one  of  the 
great  railway  companies  is  sick,  and  the  stock  of 
that  company  slides  a  notch  or  two  before  you  know 
where  you  are.  Plowever,  to  return  to  my  point,"  he 
continued,  leaning  forward  in  his  chair  and  be- 
coming more  earnest  in  his  manner,  "  your  brother, 
Mr.  Pratt,  is  a  very  prominent  figure  in  Wall  Street. 
As  his  partner,  you  can  form  a  pretty  fair  idea  as 
to  what  his  monthly  profits  are.  At  first  he  was  ab- 
solutely driven  by  circumstances  to  be  a  large  oper- 
ator upon  the  stock  markets.  Nowadays,  this  has 
become  one  of  his  favourite  hobbies." 

"  Does  he  gain  or  lose  by  it.''  "  Jacob  enquired. 

"  He  makes  money,"  Morse  replied.  "  But  then 
he  never  gambles  —  what  we  should  call  gambling  in 
this  country.  He  only  deals  in  the  sound  things, 
and  if  the  market  sags  he  simply  holds  on.  That 
brings  me,  sir,  to  the  principal  reason  why  I  was 
glad  to  see  you  over  on  this  side.  Tliree  days  before 
he  was  taken  ill,  your  brother  cleaned  up  a  little  deal 
by  which  he  made  the  best  part  of  half  a  million  dol- 


284  JACOB'S   LADDER 

lars  and  opened  a  very  large  account  in  railroads. 
The  last  word  he  said  to  me  on  business  was  that  he 
guessed  he  'd  have  to  find  the  best  part  of  a  million 
dollars  before  he  began  to  draw  in  the  profits,  for, 
owing  to  conditions  with  which  you  don't  need  to 
worry,  all  railway  stocks  have  fallen  during  the  last 
two  weeks." 

"  I  noticed  that  in  the  papers,"  Jacob  admitted. 

"  Last  week,"  Morse  continued,  *'  I  went  around  to 
see  the  brokers,  Worstead  and  Jones  of  Wall  Street, 
and  they  agreed  to  carry  over  without  hesitation. 
This  week  the  differences  come  to  six  hundred  and 
twenty-eight  thousand  dollars,  and  by  an  inviolable 
law  of  Exchange  the  money  has  to  be  found.  The 
stocks,  as  you  will  see  from  the  list  which  I  have  here, 
are  the  best  in  the  States,  Your  brother  himself 
knew  that  the  recovery  would  not  be  till  the  beginning 
of  next  month.  This  illness  of  his  was  so  unex- 
pected, however,  that  he  had  no  time  to  make  any  pro- 
vision for  paying  these  differences.  We  have  a  mat- 
ter of  seven  million  dollars  on  deposit  at  various 
banks  in  the  city,  but  I  can't  touch  those  amounts 
and  no  more  could  you,  as  they  are  part  of  Mr.  Sam- 
uel's private  fortune.  What  I  want  you  to  do,  sir, 
if  you  don't  mind  being  so  kind,  is  to  take  up  these 
differences  this  week,  and  if  a  further  drop  should 
take  place  before  next  settlement,  you  and  I  and  Mr. 
Samuel's  legal  adviser  can  apply  to  the  Courts  for 
a  power  of  attorney." 


JACOB'S  LADDER  285 

"  I  came  over  to  help  in  every  possible  way,"  Jacob 
reflected,  "  and  I  have  credit  for  about  that  amount 
at  the  First  National  Bank.  You  want  a  cheque, 
then,  for  —  " 

"  Dear  me,  no,  Mr.  Pratt !  "  the  other  interrupted. 
"  I  don't  figure  in  this.  To-morrow,  by  the  first 
mail,  we  shall  get  the  stockbroker's  note  showing  the 
exact  difi'erence.  If  you  will  draw  your  cheque  then, 
payable  to  the  stockbrokers,  they  will  give  you  a  re- 
ceipt. The  moment  Mr.  Samuel  can  hold  a  pen,  we 
can  transfer  the  amount  back  again  to  your  credit. 
The  only  point  is  that  3'our  cheque  must  be  on  an 
American  bank,  so  that  the  actual  cash  can  be 
handled." 

"  As  it  happens,  that  can  be  arranged,"  Jacob 
promised.     "  You  can  rely  upon  me,  Mr.  Morse." 

"  That 's  very  kind  of  you  indeed,  Mr.  Pratt," 
Morse  declared  heartil3^  "  I  have  a  heavy  mail  to 
attend  to  this  morning,  so  if  you  '11  excuse  me  I  '11  be 
getting  on  with  it  now,"  he  added,  rising  to  his  feet. 
"  I  have  ordered  the  car  for  you  and  Lord  Felixstowe. 
You  will  find  the  chauffeur  an  exceedingly  intelligent 
man,  and  he  will  take  you  around  New  York  and  show 
you  some  of  the  things  you  ought  to  see.  I  should 
suggest  luncheon  at  the  Ritz-Carlton  or  the  Plaza." 

"  That  sounds  all  right,"  Jacob  assented.  *'  I  beg 
that  you  won't  worry  about  us.  We  can  look  after 
ourselves  quite  well." 

"  And  you  '11  be  back  by  four  o'clock  to  see  Doctor 


286  JACOB'S   LADDER 

Bardolf,"  Morse  enjoined.  "  You  won't  forget  that 
he  is  an  exceedingly  punctual  man." 

"  We  '11  be  back  on  time  without  fail,"  Jacob  prom- 
ised. 

Jacob  and  his  companion  spent  the  morning  very 
much  in  the  manner  suggested.  The  latter  was  much 
quieter  than  usual,  so  much  so  that  in  the  lounge 
after  luncheon  at  the  Ritz-Carlton,  Jacob  commented 
upon  his  silence. 

"  Lose  your  heart  last  night,  Felix  .^^  "  he  enquired. 

"  I  'm  a  slow-mover  with  the  fillies,  worse  luck !  " 
the  young  man  answered,  shaking  his  head.  *'  I 
was  n't  as  blind  as  I  seemed,  either.  I  am  going  to 
try  and  get  our  demure  friend  with  the  blinkers  out 
on  the  razzle-dazzle  again  to-night." 

"  Not  sure  that  I  approve,"  Jacob  said.  "  I  don't 
think  Morse  cares  much  about  that  sort  of  thing, 
either." 

"  I  'm  not  entirely  convinced,  you  know,"  Felix- 
stowe observed,  "  that  we  've  quite  got  the  hang  of 
that  fellow." 

"  In  what  way  ?  "  Jacob  enquired. 

"  Well,"  his  young  companion  continued,  stretch- 
ing himself  out  in  the  chair  and  lighting  a  fresh  cig- 
arette, "  between  you  and  me,  Mr.  Morse  was  pretty 
well-known  at  the  low  haunts  we  dropped  in  at  last 
night.  You  can  tell  when  a  Johnny  's  at  home  and 
when  he  is  n't,  you  know,  and  I  saw  him  looking  at  me 
once  or  twice  when  they  called  him  by  his  Christian 


JACOB'S   LADDER  287 

name,  for  instance,  as  though  he  hoped  I  was  n't 
catching  on." 

"  That  seems  quite  reasonable,"  Jacob  observed. 
*'  Sam  's  a  pretty  broadminded  chap,  but  I  dare  say 
he  would  n't  like  the  idea  of  his  secretary  being  a 
frequenter  of  aU  sorts  of  night  haunts." 

"  One  for  yours  truly,  eh?  " 

"  Not  at  all.  You  are  more  a  companion  than  a 
secretary,  so  far,  and  besides,  you  have  n't  control 
over  my  finances.  What  have  you  been  studying 
that  directory  for?  " 

Lord  Fehxstowe  laid  down  the  massive  volume 
which  he  had  just  borrowed  from  the  office  clerk. 

*'  Been  looking  'em  all  up,"  he  confided.  *'  Doc- 
tor Brand  Bardolf,  Physician,  Number  1001  West 
Fifty-seventh  Street  —  he 's  there,  with  letters 
enough  after  his  name  to  make  a  mess  of  the  whole 
alphabet.  Sydney  Morse  —  he  's  there,  same  ad- 
dress as  Samuel  Pratt.  And  the  stockbrokers, 
Worstead  and  Jones,  Number  202  Wall  Street." 

"  What  made  you  look  them  all  up?  "  Jacob  asked 
curiously. 

"  I  'm  damned  if  I  know,"  was  the  candid  reply. 
*'  All  the  same,  I  'm  here  to  look  after  you  a  bit,  you 
know,  old  dear,  and  when  you're  parting  with  the 
dibs  to  the  tune  of  a  hundred  thousand  quid,  you 
need  some  one  around  with  his  weather  eye  open." 

Jacob  smiled  tolerantly. 

"  That 's  all  right,  Felix,"  he  agreed,  "  but  remem- 


288  JACOB'S   LADDER 

ber  I  'm  parting  with  it  under  my  brother's  roof,  to 
his  own  stockbrokers,  on  the  advice  of  his  own  pri- 
vate secretary  and  physician.  Morse  would  n't  even 
have  the  cheque  made  payable  to  him." 

"  Looks  as  right  as  a  trivet,"  the  young  man  as- 
sented, "  but  I  'm  one  of  those  chaps  with  instincts, 
you  know,  and  I  'm  damned  if  I  like  Morse.  I  shall 
try  and  get  him  canned  to-night." 

"  I  beg  that  you  won't  do  any  such  thing,"  Jacob 
objected  hastily.  "  It  is  probably  most  necessary 
for  my  brother's  interests  that  he  should  remain  in 
good  health.  Besides,  you  '11  get  into  trouble  your- 
self if  you  don't  mind." 

A  smile  almost  of  pity  parted  the  young  man's 
lips. 

"  Don't  3'ou  worry,"  he  murmured.  "  It  'd  take 
half  a  dozen  Morses,  and  then  some,  to  sew  me  up." 


CHAPTER    XXVII 

It  seemed  to  Jacob,  when  he  was  awakened  from  a 
sound  sleep  about  four  o'clock  the  next  morning, 
that  his  young  companion's  farewell  words  had  been 
vainglorious.  He  was  first  of  all  conscious  of  the 
sound  of  heavy  footsteps  on  the  stairs,  then  the  open- 
ing of  Lord  Felixstowe's  door,  and  the  muffled  tramp 
of  two  men  evidently  carrying  some  sort  of  a  burden. 
A  few  seconds  later  there  was  an  apologetic  knock  at 
his  own  door,  and  Morse  presented  himself.  His 
evening  attire  was  slightly  ruffled,  he  was  not  remark- 
ably steady  upon  his  feet,  and  his  speech  was  a  little 
less  precise  than  usual.  Otherwise,  he  showed  no 
signs  of  a  night  of  dissipation. 

"  Forgive  my  disturbing  you,  Mr.  Pratt,"  he  said, 
"  but  I  thought  I  had  better  just  let  you  know  that 
we  've  had  a  little  trouble  with  his  young  lordship 
this  evening." 

"  You  mean,  I  suppose,"  Jacob  observed,  "  that 
he  's  had  too  much  to  drink?  " 

Morse  coughed  —  then  hiccoughed  and  drew  him- 
self up  with  preternatural  gravity. 


290  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  Lord  Felixstowe  was  certainly  a  little  indiscreet," 
he  admitted.  "  He  has  a  very  good  head  for  a  young 
man,  but  he  would  insist  upon  cocktails  after  cham- 
pagne." 

*'  Where  is  he  now?  " 

"  Lying  down  in  his  room.  The  chauffeur  and  I 
carried  him  up,  and  he  will  be  quite  all  right  in  the 
morning.  I  '11  take  the  liberty  of  sending  a  little 
draught  round  about  breakfast  time." 

"  Silly  young  ass !  "  Jacob  yawned.  "  Thank  you, 
Mr.  Morse,  and  good  night." 

"  Good  night,  Mr.  Pratt." 

Jacob,  after  a  few  minutes'  reflection,  swung  out  of 
bed,  put  on  his  dressing  gown,  and  made  his  way  into 
the  adjoining  apartment.  Lord  Felixstowe,  fuUy 
dressed,  was  lying  upon  the  bed,  breathing  heavily. 
Jacob  approached  and  stood  over  him.  His  tie  had 
gone  altogether,  there  were  wine  stains  upon  his  shirt 
front,  his  hair,  generally  so  beautifully  smooth,  was 
in  wild  disorder. 

"  You  bragging  young  donkey !  "  Jacob  scoffed. 
"  He  's  put  it  across  you  all  right." 

The  young  man  suddenly  turned  his  head.  There 
was  a  contraction  of  his  left  eyelid.  He  solemnly 
winked. 

"  I  don't  think ! "  he  said.  "  Turn  on  the  taps  in 
the  bathroom,  old  dear.     I  'm  going  to  have  a  soak." 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you're  shamming?" 
Jacob  exclaimed. 


JACOB'S  LADDER  291 

"  How  did  you  guess  it !  A  hot  bath  and  a  small 
whisky  and  soda,  and  I  shall  drop  off  to  sleep  in  a 
twinkling.  But,  Jacob,  my  lord  and  master,"  Felix- 
stowe enjoined  earnestly,  as  he  commenced  to  throw 
off  his  clothes,  "  don't  you  try  it  on  with  them.  I 
thought  some  of  the  lads  from  our  own  village  could 
shift  the  stuff  a  bit  when  they  were  up  against  it,  but, 
believe  me,  we  do  no  more  than  gargle  our  throats 
over  in  London.  When  it  comes  to  the  real  tiling, 
they  've  got  us  beaten  to  a  frazzle.  Tuck  yourself 
into  bed,  old  thing,  and  don't  you  worry  about  me. 
What  a  house  to  stay  in !  "  the  young  man  concluded, 
with  a  little  burst  of  enthusiasm,  as  he  pointed  to  the 
decanter  of  whisky,  the  soda  water,  and  the  silver  ice 
tray  set  out  upon  a  small  table.  "  Jacob,  when  your 
brother  rises  from  his  bed  of  sickness,  I  shall  grasp 
his  hand  and  salute  him  as  the  lord  of  hosts.  Ab- 
solutely clinking !     Tophole !  " 

The  young  man  disappeared  into  the  bathroom, 
and  Jacob,  reassured  but  a  little  bewildered,  went 
back  to  bed.  To  all  appearance,  Felixstowe  was 
perfectly  sober.  Nevertheless,  when  breakfast  was 
served  the  next  morning,  Jacob  found  himself  alone. 

"  Have  you  told  Lord  Felixstowe.'^  "  he  enquired  of 
the  butler. 

"  His  lordsliip  went  out  some  time  ago,  sir,"  the 
man  replied,  with  a  faint  smile.  "  He  left  word  that 
he  had  gone  to  the  chemist's." 

Jacob,   somewhat   puzzled,   finished  his   breakfast 


292  JACOB  S   LADDER 

without  comment.     He  was  halfway  through  a  cigar 
afterwards  when  the  butler  reappeared. 

*'  Mr.  Morse's  compliments,  sir,  and  will  you  step 
down  to  the  library  and  see  Doctor  Bardolf .?  " 

Jacob  made  his  way  to  the  very  sumptuous  room 
on  the  ground  floor,  which  his  brother  when  at  home 
had  christened  his  business  room.  The  physician, 
who  was  waiting  there,  shook  hands  with  him  warmly. 
His  manner  this  morning  seemed  a  little  more  friendly 
and  a  little  less  professional.  He  had  the  air  of  a 
man  for  whom  a  period  of  some  mental  strain  has 
ended. 

"  Your  brother  will  pull  through,  sir,"  he  an- 
nounced. *'  There  is  a  marked  improvement  this 
morning." 

"  I  am  delighted,"  Jacob  said  heartily. 

"  I  think  that  by  to-morrow  or  the  next  day  you 
will  be  able  to  see  him,  and  I  feel  confident  that  Mr. 
Morse  will  be  able  to  get  his  signature  to  any  cheque 
or  document  required." 

"  I  have  been  trying  to  persuade  the  doctor," 
Morse  intervened,  "  to  let  me  make  out  a  cheque  for 
this  amount," —  drawing  a  statement  from  his 
pocket, — "  and  guide  Mr.  Samuel's  hand  while  he 
signed  it.  Then  we  need  not  trouble  you  in  the  mat- 
ter at  all." 

The  physician  seemed  to  consider  the  point. 

"  On  the  whole,"  he  decided,  "  my  patient  is  a  man 
of  such  wealth  that  I  don't  think  it  is  advisable  to  run 


JACOB'S  LADDER  293 

the  slightest  risk  where  a  financial  question  is  con- 
cerned. Mr.  Samuel  Pratt  is  a  very  old  friend  of 
mine,  and  if  a  few  hundred  thousand  dollars  or  so  are 
any  convenience,  Mr.  Morse  —  " 

"  Certainly  not,"  Jacob  interrupted.  "  I  am  sure 
my  brother  will  be  glad  to  hear  of  your  offer.  Doctor, 
but  I  am  on  the  spot  and  I  can  easily  manage  any- 
thing that  is  required.  Let  me  have  that  statement, 
Mr.  Morse." 

The  secretary  passed  over  a  stockbroker's  state- 
ment from  Messrs.  Worstead  and  Jones,  showing  a 
balance  of  six  hundred  and  eighty-two  thousand  four 
hundred  and  twenty  dollars.  Jacob  drew  out  his 
cheque  book.  Morse  watched  him  indifferently  as 
he  wrote. 

"  I  'm  afraid  his  lordship  is  not  feeling  quite  him- 
self this  morning,"  he  observed.  "  Sorry  he  troubled 
to  go  round  to  the  druggist's.  I  could  have  fixed 
him  up  something  myself.     We  had  —  " 

The  door  opened  softly.  Felixstowe  crossed  the 
threshold,  smiling  amiably.  He  was  dressed  with 
his  usual  precision  in  a  blue  serge  suit,  a  regimental 
tie,  and  wonderfully  polished  brown  shoes.  His 
Homburg  hat,  which  he  removed  as  he  entered,  was 
just  a  shade  on  one  side.  He  looked  the  picture  of 
health. 

"  Good    morning,    everybody,"   he    said    genially 
closing  the  door  behind  him.     "  Just  in  the  nick  of 
time,  eh.''  " 


»• 


294  JACOB'S  LADDER 

"  In  the  nick  of  time  for  what?  "  Jacob  asked, 
turning  around. 

*'  To  stop  your  signing  that  cheque." 

Jacob  stared  at  the  newcomer  in  amazement. 
Neither  the  physician  nor  Morse  uttered  a  syllable. 
Their  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  young  man. 

"  Hearken  now  to  the  tale  of  the  sleuthhound,"  the 
latter  continued,  setting  down  his  hat,  cane  and 
gloves  upon  the  sideboard  and  thrusting  his  hands 
into  his  trousers  pockets.  "  Fact  is,  I  just  toddled 
round  to  Number  1001  West  Fifty-seventh  Street 
this  morning,  and  I  've  been  having  a  chat  with  Doc- 
tor Bardolf." 

"  What  are  you  talking  about?  "  Jacob  demanded. 
^'  Doctor  Bardolf  is  here." 

"  Oh,  no,  he  is  n't !  "  the  young  man  retorted  pleas- 
antly. "  Or,  as  I  should  say  in  the  vernacular  of  this 
amazing  country,  I  guess  not !  This  gentleman  gives 
a  very  creditable  rendering  of  the  part,  but  he  is  no 
more  Doctor  Bardolf  than  the  Johnny  upstairs  is 
Mr.  Samuel  Pratt.  The  fact  is,  Jacob,  the  whole 
thing  is  a  layout,  and  you  've  been  very  nearly 
pinched." 

Doctor  Bardolf  picked  up  his  hat  with  dignity. 

"*'  I  do  not  understand  your  young  countryman's 
phraseology,"  he  said,  turning  towards  the  door. 

"  He  is  n't  sober  yet !  "  Morse  gasped,  with  a 
frightened  look  in  his  eyes. 

Felixstowe's  slim  young  form  seemed  to  expand. 


C( 


JACOB'S  LADDER  295 

You  stay  where  you  are,"  he  ordered  the  pseudo- 
physician  sternly.  "  This  is  about  the  hang  of  the 
thing,  Jacob.  Your  brotlier  went  to  the  Adiron- 
dacks,  all  right,  leaving  his  house  here  in  the  charge 
of  Morse,  whom,  like  a  fool,  he  seems  to  have  trusted. 
Morse  planned  the  rest  of  it.  Not  so  difficult,  either. 
He  could  n't  get  at  any  of  your  brother  Samuel's 
oof,  so  he  cabled  to  you,  dismissed  the  servants  whom 
he  could  n't  bring  into  the  job,  and  got  this  chap 
Worstead,  who  is  a  ruined  stockbroker,  to  play  the 
part  of  the  physician.  Damned  good  scheme,  too  t 
—  Hullo ! " 

The  door  had  opened  a  little  abruptly,  and  a  small 
man,  bearing  an  unmistakable  resemblance  to  Jacob, 
had  entered.  His  cheeks  were  sunburnt,  and  he  had 
the  unkempt  appearance  of  one  who  has  been  living 
in  the  backwoods. 

"  Jacob !  "  the  newcomer  exclaimed  enthusiasti- 
cally, holding  out  both  his  hands.  "  Welcome  to 
New  York !  " 

Jacob  felt  a  little  dazed. 

"  You  have  n't  been  ill  at  all  then,  Samuel.''  " 

"111?"  tlic  other  repeated  contemptuously.  *' I 
was  never  better  in  my  life.     What 's  it  all  about.''  '* 

!Morse  threw  up  the  sponge,  and  Worstead,  alias 
Bardolf,  followed  suit. 

"  He  led  me  into  this  mess,"  the  former  declared, 
shaking  his  fist  at  Worstead.  "  Got  me  gambling  on 
differences,  and  when  I  could  n't  pay  he  cooked  up 


296  JACOB'S   LADDER 

this  joint.  It 's  the  first  time  I  have  n't  run  straight, 
Mr.  Pratt,  and  I  did  n't  touch  any  of  your  money, 
anyway." 

"So  there's  been  some  crooked  business,  eh?" 
Samuel  Pratt  remarked.  "  Will  some  one  tell  me 
exactly  what 's  happened  ?  " 

Felixstowe  gently  intervened. 

"  You  '11  pick  the  whole  thing  up  by  degrees,"  he 
said,  "  but  this  is  the  long  and  short  of  it.  Your 
brother  Jacob  gets  a  cable  over  in  England,  sent  by 
Morse  here,  to  say  that  you  are  dangerously  ill. 
Out  we  come,  first  steamer.  Morse  meets  us,  brings 
us  here ;  you  are  supposed  to  be  upstairs  with  a  hos- 
pital nurse,  too  ill  to  be  seen.  A  financial  crisis 
arises  and  Jacob  is  asked  to  find  a  trifle  of  six  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars  to  pay  some  differences  on  your 
account.  The  dear  boy  was  on  the  point  of  signing 
his  cheque  when  I  popped  in  and  put  the  kybosh  on 
it." 

"  But  what  on  earth  made  you  suspicious  ?  "  Jacob 
demanded. 

"  First  night  we  were  out  together,"  Felixstowe 
continued,  "  I  began  to  tumble  to  it  that  Morse  here 
had  a  pretty  considerable  acquaintance  amongst  the 
crooks.  Then  he  dropped  a  note  from  you,  Mr. 
Pratt,  saying  that  you  were  staying  three  or  four 
days  at  the  Touraine  Hotel  in  Boston,  on  your  way 
home,  so  I  slipped  out  and  sent  that  dispatch  to  you 
on  the  chance.     Last  night  again  he  made  one  or 


JACOB'S   LADDER  297 

two  bloomers,  so  this  morning  I  just  hopped  round 
to  Doctor  Bardolf's  address,  and  that,  of  course, 
busted  the  whole  show." 

"  Make  me  out  a  list  of  the  people  in  my  household 
associated  with  you  in  this,"  liis  employer  ordered 
Morse  sternly,  "  and  bring  it  to  my  den  immediately. 
—  Stay  where  you  are,  Worstead.  I  shall  treat  you 
both  alike.  —  Jacob,"  he  added,  indicating  Felix- 
stowe, "  who  is  this  remarkably  intelligent  young 
man?  " 

"  My  secretary,"  Jacob  replied. 

"  Name  of  Felixstowe,"  the  young  man  observed, 
holding  out  his  hand  with  a  winning  smile.  "  Glad 
to  meet  you,  Mr.  Samuel  Pratt." 

Samuel  passed  a  hand  through  the  arm  of  each. 

"  Come  right  along  with  me,  boys,  to  my  den,  where 
the  still  waters  flow,"  he  invited.  "  We  '11  talk  over 
the  business  quietly.  Bring  me  the  list  I  asked  for  in 
five  minutes,  Morse,  and  3'ou  'd  better  induce  Mr. 
Worstead  to  take  a  seat  and  wait  quietly.  I  stopped 
at  the  station  and  brought  along  a  couple  of  plain- 
clothes men,  in  case  there  was  any  trouble.  —  This 


way." 


CHAPTER    XXVIII 

Jacob  and  Lord  Felixstowe  stood  side  by  side  on 
the  deck  of  a  homeward-bound  steamer,  a  few  weeks 
later,  watching  the  pilot  come  out  from  Plymouth 
Harbour. 

"  Some  trip,"  the  latter  remarked,  with  a  reminis- 
cent sigh.  "  I  feel  as  though  I  'd  had  the  beano  of 
my  life." 

"  You  scored  it  up  against  me,  all  right,"  Jacob 
acknowledged.  "  Those  fellows  might  easily  have 
got  away  with  my  hundred  thousand  pounds.  I  'm 
not  at  all  sure  that  I  ought  not  to  settle  an  annuity 
on  you." 

"  Nothing  doing,"  was  the  prompt  reply.  "  Be- 
lieve me,  Jacob,  old  dear,  mine  is  one  of  those  peculiar 
intelligences  which  thrive  best  in  a  state  of  penury. 
Give  me  an  absolutely  assured  income  and  my  talents 
would  rust.  I  should  no  longer  be  equal  to  measur- 
ing my  wits  against  the  Morses  of  the  world." 

Jacob  smiled. 

'"  I  think  you  gave  that  young  man  the  surprise 
of  his  life." 

"  I  'm  not  at  all  sure  that  I  did  n't  play  it  a  trifle 


JACOB'S   LADDER  295 

low  down  on  ]Mr.  S  jdne}'  Morse,"  Felixstowe  reflected. 
*'  He  was  a  very  credulous  simpleton,  for  all  his  cun- 
ning. The  stage  setting  of  his  scheme  was  wonderful 
and  the  details  perfect,  but  he  lacked  the  insight  of 
a  great  crook.  On  the  whole  I  am  glad  that  your 
brother  let  the  bunch  off  lightly." 

"  Samuel  is  almost  fatally  good-natured,"  his 
brother  remarked.  "  I  have  never  known  him  to  stay 
angry  for  long  with  any  one." 

"  But  what  a  prince !  What  a  pasha !  "  Felix- 
stowe declared  enthusiastically.  "  He  decked  me  out 
at  Tiffany's  till  I  feel  like  a  walking  jeweller's  shop  in 
the  evening.  And  what  a  send-off!  The  old  coun- 
try 's  going  to  seem  a  bit  flat,  Jacob.  I  feel  as  though 
I  were  coming  back  to  the  rustic  life." 

"  It 's  something  to  have  any  sort  of  life  to  come 
back  to,"  Jacob  sighed. 

The  young  man  glanced  at  his  companion  with 
thoughtful  e3'es. 

*'  Got  the  pip,  old  bean.'' "  he  enquired,  with  gentle 
sympathy. 

Jacob  shook  his  head. 

"  Slight  attack  of  the  blues,  I  suppose,"  he  con- 
fessed, his  eyes  travelling  over  the  deep  green  of  the 
fields  and  the  dark  woods  beyond  the  harbour. 
"  Homecoming  always  seems  a  bit  flat  for  a  lonely 
man.  I  suppose  Dick  Dauncey  will  be  the  only  hu- 
man being  who  cares  sixpence  whether  I  turn  up 
again  or  not." 


« 


300  JACOB'S   LADDER 

"  What  did  you  have  for  luncheon  ?  "  Felixstowe 
asked  anxiously. 

*'  Whereas  you,"  Jacob  went  on,  — 

That  reminds  me,"  his  companion  interrupted, 
I  told  Mary  to  bring  the  little  car  down  for  me,  if 
there  was  nothing  much  doing  in  town.  I  wonder 
whether  she  's  here." 

"  Good  heavens  !  "  Jacob  exclaimed.  "  Do  you 
mean  to  say  that  you  have  asked  your  sister  to  drive 
that  crazy  old  tin  kettle  of  yours  all  the  way  down 
from  London?  " 

"  It 's  a  damned  nice  little  car,  properly  handled," 
its  owner  objected  stiffly.  "  I  '11  lay  odds  that  if 
Mary  started  we  shall  see  her  on  the  dock." 

Notwithstanding  his  avowed  disapproval,  Jacob's 
interest  in  the  landing  perceptibly  increased,  and 
much  of  his  depression  had  passed  away  when  they 
recognised  Lady  Mary  amongst  the  little  crowd  wait- 
ing on  the  dock.  She  was  looking  very  smart  and 
pretty  in  her  simple  motoring  clothes,  and  Jacob 
realised,  even  as  they  shook  hands,  why  his  interest 
in  the  ladies  of  New  York  had  lacked  spontaneity. 
She  chattered  to  them  gaily  enough  as  they  stood 
waiting  for  their  luggage,  but  Jacob  fancied  that 
there  was  a  shade  of  reserve  in  her  manner. 

*'I  couldn't  wait  till  you  got  to  London  to  hear 
all  about  it,"  she  declared.  "  I  must  have  the  whole 
story." 

At  dinner  time,"  Jacob  suggested.     *'  Only  you 


(( 


JACOB'S   LADDER  301 

must  promise  that  you  won't  laugh  too  much  at  the 
poor  guileless  Britisher  who  would  probablj'  have 
been  sharked  of  a  hundred  thousand  pounds  in  New 
York,  but  for  Felix." 

The  girl's  eyes  danced  with  pleasure. 

"  You  really  mean  that  he  was  useful?  " 

*'  I  can  assure  you  —  " 

"  Chuck  that,"  the  young  man  interrupted  gruffly. 
*'  Non-stop  run  down,  I  suppose,  Mary?  " 

His  sister  looked  a  little  dubious. 

"  I  had  to  stop  a  few  times  for  repairs,"  she  ad- 
mitted, "  and  two  policemen  told  me  I  should  be 
summoned  for  making  that  awful  noise." 

"  A  wonderful  engine,"  Felixstowe  declared,  "  but 
it  needs  a  master  hand." 

"  It  needs  a  silencer  more  than  anything,"  Jacob 
commented. 

"  Are  you  going  to  ride  up  with  us  in  the  dickey 
to-morrow?  "  Lady  Mary  asked. 

"  I  am  not,"  Jacob  replied  firmly.  "  I  have  wired 
for  my  own  car." 

"  Race  3'ou  up  for  a  tenner,  old  bean,"  Felixstowe 
suggested  promptly. 

"  I  would  n't  imperil  Lady  Mary's  existence," 
Jacob  replied,  —  "  that  is,  unless  she  rode  with  me." 

"  No  fear,"  the  young  man  scoffed.  "  Mary  would 
never  desert  the  old  tin  kettle,  as  you  call  it." 

"  I  rather  like  the  smoothness  of  a  Rolls-Royce," 
she  murmured. 


302  JACOB'S  LADDER 

Over  dinner  that  evening,  their  adventures  in  New 
York  were  recounted  at  length.  It  was  not  until  her 
brother  had  wandered  out  to  get  some  cigarettes, 
however,  that  Lady  Mary  referred  to  the  subject 
which  all  three  seemed  to  have  been  avoiding. 

"  It  must  have  been  rather  a  shock  to  you,  I  am 
afraid,  to  meet  Captain  and  Mrs.  Penhaven  on  the 
steamer,"  she  remarked  sympathetically. 

"  I  thought  it  was  going  to  be,"  he  admitted.  "  It 
did  n't  turn  out  that  way." 

"  Are  you  very  broken-hearted?  " 

"Are  you?" 

"  I  did  n't  give  myself  the  chance,"  she  replied. 
**  When  I  found  that  things  were  going  wrong  be- 
tween Maurice  and  me,  I  just  told  him  so." 

"  But  you  did  care  for  liim  very  much,  did  n't 
you?  "  he  ventured. 

She  considered  the  matter  indifferently. 

I  suppose  I  did  once,  in  a  way,"  she  decided. 
He  was  rather  a  dear,  but  a  very  obvious  person 
in  many  respects.  I  always  felt  I  knew  exactly  what 
he  was  going  to  do  or  say,  and  that  does  get  so  irri- 
tating. I  am  perfectly  certain  that  we  should  have 
led  a  cat-and-dog  life  if  we  had  married." 

Jacob  looked  across  the  little  round  table.  For 
the  first  time  during  the  evening.  Lady  Mary's  eyes 
met  his.  They  were  amazingly  blue,  and  Jacob  lost 
his  head. 

"  As  for  me,  I  am  a  faithless  brute,"  he  confessed. 


JACOB'S  LADDER  303 

**  I  used  to  think  there  could  n't  be  any  other  girl  in 
the  world  except  Sybil.  But  I  changed.  I  was  glad 
when  I  found  that  she  was  married." 

"  Did  you  change  because  of  another  girl?  "  Lady 
Mary  asked  softl}'. 

«  Yes,"  Jacob  faltered. 

**  Then  why  don't  you  tell  the  other  girl  so  ?  " 

*'  Lady  Mary  —  "  he  began. 

"  Jacob,"  she  murmured,  "  come  and  tell  me 
quickly,  or  Jack  will  be  back  with  those  cigarettes." 

Which  is  where  the  real  and  most  wonderful  adven- 
ture of  Jacob  Pratt's  life  commenced. 


THE    END 


NOVELS  by  E.  PHILLIPS  OPPENHEIM 


"He  is  past  master  of  the  art  of  telling  a  story.  He 
has  humor,  a  keen  sense  of  the  dramatic,  and  a  knack 
of  turning  out  a  happy  ending  just  when  the  compli- 
cations of  the  plot  threaten  worse  disasters." — New  York 
Times. 

"Mr.  Oppenheim  has  few  equals  among  modern 
novelists.  He  is  prolific,  he  is  untiring  in  the  invention 
of  mysterious  plots,  he  is  a  clever  weaver  of  the  plausible 
with  the  sensational,  and  he  has  the  necessary  gift  of 
facile  narrative. ' '  — Boston  Transcript. 


A  Prince  of  Sinners 

Mysterious  Mr.  Sabin 

The  Master  Mummer 

A  Maker  of  History 

The  Malefactor 

A  Millionaire  of  Yesterday 

The  Man  and  His  Kingdom 

The  Yellow  Crayon 

A  Sleeping  Memory 

A  Lost  Leader 

The  Great  Secret 

The  Avenger 

The  Long  Arm  of  Mannister 

The  Governors 

Jeanne  of  the  Marshes 

The  Illustrious  Prince 

The  Lost  Ambassador 

A  Daughter  of  the  Marionis 

Berenice 

Havoc 


The  Lighted  Way 

The  Survivor 

A  People's  Man 

The  Vanished  Messenger 

Mr.  Grex  of  Monte  Carlo 

The  Double  Traitor 

The  Way  of  These  Women 

Mr.  Marx's  Secret 

An  Amiable  Charlatan 

The  Kingdom  of  the  Blind 

The  Hillman 

The  Cinema  Murder 

The  Pawns  Count 

The  Zeppelin's  Passenger 

The  Curious  Quest 

The  Wicked  Marquis 

The  Box  with  Broken  Seals 

The  Great  Impersonation 

The  Devil's  Paw 

Jacob's  Ladder 


UTTLE,  BROWN  &  CO.,  Publishers,  BOSTON 


The  Best  Story  Oppenheim  Ever  Wrote! 


THE  GREAT 
IMPERSONATION 


By  E.  PHILLIPS  OPPENHEIM 

With  illustrations  by  Nana  French  Bickford 
12mo.     Cloth.     322  pages. 


"No  more  successful  mystery  story  was  ever  written  than 
'The  Great  Impersonation.'  It  is  indeed  a  triumph  of  con- 
struction and  treatment  that  holds  the  attention  of  the  reader 
from  first  to  last." — Philadelphia  Public  Ledger. 

"  'The  Great  Impersonation'  is  a  thoroughly  good  story  with 
an  ingenious  plot,  and  a  series  of  exciting  episodes  that  recal] 
A.  Conan  Doyle  of  the  days  when  he  was  writing  about  Sher- 
lock Holmes."— TAe  New  York  Tribune. 

"For  ingenuity  of  plot  and  cleverness  of  treatment,  it  is 
a  masterpiece  among  contemporary  mystery  stories." — The 
Boston  Herald. 

"Mr.  Oppenheim,  well  established  master  of  mystery,  has  in 
'The  Great  Impersonation'  outdone  himself  in  his  exploitation 
of  the  hitherto  unsuspected." —  The  New  York  World. 

'"The  Great  Impersonation'  will  be,  and  will  deserve  to  be, 
one  of  the  best  sellers  of  the  year." — The  Boston  Post. 


LITTLE,  BROWN  &  CO.,  Publishers 
34  Beacon  Street,  Boston 


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